Cessna 172 N734GM

Summary

On 2 August 2016 at about 22:30 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N734GM, operated by Wheels Down LLC, was involved in an accident near Lewiston, Montana, 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

2 August 2016 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Lewiston, Montana, United States

Nearest airport

Smithfield (MT65)

Coordinates

47.1169, -109.3764

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N734GM

Category

Airplane

Year built

1977

Engines

1

Operator

Wheels Down LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lewistown → Bozeman

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA16CA419

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to ensure that his seat was adjusted and locked, which resulted in his seat sliding aft during the takeoff roll, and the subsequent loss of directional control and runway excursion.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, during the takeoff roll about 30 knots indicated airspeed, his seat slid back a few inches. He reported that, "The slight movement of the pilot seat aft during takeoff roll was inconvenient. Had I done nothing at this point, it most likely would have been a manageable situation." However, the pilot reported that, "My reaction to move the seat forward using the adjustment bar during takeoff roll acceleration is what caused the pilot seat to move to the full aft position." He reported that the full aft seat movement caused him to pull back on the yoke, the nose landing gear came off the ground, and the airplane veered left and exited the runway to the left, and struck a fence before coming to a halt. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, horizontal stabilizer, and elevator. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane during the takeoff roll that would have prevented normal flight operations. Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Safety Inspector's examined the pilot's seat, track and adjustment assembly and found that there were no failures or anomalies. According to the manufacturer's Pilot Operating Handbook, item number three of the Before Start Checklist states: Seats/Belts –Adjusted and locked

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.