Cessna 172S N385ME

Summary

On 23 December 2010 at about 14:25 local time, a Cessna 172S registered N385ME, operated by Sundowners Inc, was involved in an accident near Fort Myers, Florida, United States. One person was 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

23 December 2010 at 14:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Fort Myers, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Page Field Airport (FMY)

Coordinates

26.5853, -81.8578

Aircraft

Cessna 172S

Registration

N385ME

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Sundowners Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fort Myers → Fort Myers

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA11CA096

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s attempt to take off with full flaps.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, he was practicing touch-and-go takeoffs and landings. During the takeoff roll following his eighth landing, he said he felt a gust of wind push the plane to the left. He applied full right aileron, but could not arrest the turn. He then applied the brakes, but the airplane departed the left side of the runway, impacted a ditch, and came to rest inverted, resulting in substantial damage to the firewall, wings, and vertical stabilizer. During a subsequent examination of the wreckage, a Federal Aviation Administration inspector found the flaps in the FULL, 30-degree position. The inspector also reported that there were no anomalies with the airplane. The reported wind at the airport about the time of the accident was from 350 degrees at 7 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.