Cessna 172SP N251SP

Summary

On 1 September 2008 at about 17:30 local time, a Cessna 172SP registered N251SP, operated by Ari Meisel, was involved in an accident near South Harpswell, Maine, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 September 2008 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

South Harpswell, Maine, United States

Nearest airport

Farr Field (ME33)

Coordinates

43.7792, -70.0128

Aircraft

Cessna 172SP

Registration

N251SP

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Ari Meisel

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Portsmouth → South Harpswell

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA08CA179

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane while landing in gusty winds.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that prior to landing he believed that he had a quartering head wind between 6 and 8 knots. Once over runway 14 at 10 feet agl, "suddenly the wind shifted and we were lifted up and keeled over to the right. Once I leveled the wings I realized that we were quickly running out of runway." The pilot stated that he attempted a go-around; he put in full power and raised the flaps to 20 degrees. However, he did not have enough power or clearance to stay out of the trees. The pilot banked left to avoid the trees and "dropped" the airplane in a field between houses. The airplane hit the ground and then skidded to a stop into a tree. The reported weather conditions at Brunswick, Maine, at the time of the accident was visual meteorological conditions with winds at 340 degrees at 19 knots gusting to 27 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.