Cessna 172K N7325G

Summary

On 26 February 2005 at about 22:20 local time, a Cessna 172K registered N7325G was involved in an accident near Portage, Wisconsin, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 February 2005 at 22:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Portage, Wisconsin, United States

Nearest airport

Portage Municipal Airport (C47)

Coordinates

43.5603, -89.4828

Aircraft

Cessna 172K

Registration

N7325G

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Portage → Portage

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI05CA075

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the aborted landing, which resulted in an inadvertent stall at a low altitude. Factors to the accident were the pilot's lack of experience flying from the right pilot station and his failure to maintain directional control during landing rollout.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane stalled and impacted the runway during an aborted landing. The pilot reported that the accident flight was with a prospective new flying club member. The pilot stated that the club required new members complete a check-out flight with a current member. The prospective new member (passenger) held a student pilot certificate and had flown solo prior to the accident flight. The pilot held a private pilot certificate and had accumulated 73 hours as pilot-in-command (PIC). The pilot was not a flight instructor and was acting as PIC for the entire flight. The pilot was seated at the right pilot station and the passenger was seated at the left pilot station. The pilot reported that he had "never piloted from the right position before." The pilot reported that the passenger flew three landing approaches and each attempt terminated in a go-around maneuver. After the third landing attempt, the passenger asked the pilot to "demonstrate a landing." The pilot stated that he assumed aircraft control during the downwind leg for runway 17. He reported his final approach was flown with full flaps and an uneventful touchdown was made on the runway. He stated that during rollout the airplane "started to veer toward the right" and that he "incorrectly applied the right rudder instead of left." The pilot decided to perform an aborted landing in order to "demonstrate a better landing." The pilot reported he applied full engine power and "lifted the flaps briefly (but not fully)." He stated that he thought the flaps were "up more" and that he became "flustered" as the airplane "pitched up." He reported that the airplane "stalled" about 30-50 feet above the ground, and that he was "able to pull the nose up so that we landed hard on the [landing] gear."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.