Cessna 172P N52298

Summary

On 27 June 2009 at about 17:30 local time, a Cessna 172P registered N52298, operated by USAFA Aero Club, was involved in an accident near Usafa, Colorado, United States. 4 people were on board and 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

27 June 2009 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Usafa, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

USAF Academy Airfield (KAFF)

Coordinates

38.9697, -104.8128

Aircraft

Cessna 172P

Registration

N52298

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

USAFA Aero Club

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Usafa → Usafa

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN09CA459

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to maintain a safe flying airspeed resulting in an inadvertent stall during the go-around.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was landing at the destination airport in gusty wind conditions. The commercial pilot reported that the wind was aligned predominately down the runway with gusts approximately 10 knots above the steady state winds. When in the flare to land, the airplane would not settle to the runway normally. The pilot held the landing attitude and waited for the airplane to touch down. When the airplane floated past the pilot's planned touchdown zone, the pilot initiated a go-around. When the pilot selected full throttle and set a pitch attitude for the climb out, the airplane's stall warning horn came on. The pilot lowered the pitch and retracted wing flaps from 40 degrees to approximately 20 degrees. The airplane stalled, and the left wing and propeller contacted the runway. The airplane departed the left side of the runway and came to rest in an upright position. An examination of the airplane following the accident revealed that the left wing near the wing tip was bent upward and the firewall was buckled.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.