Cessna 172 N21794

Summary

On 11 May 2019 at about 22:38 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N21794, operated by Solo Aviation, was involved in an accident near Dexter, Michigan, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 May 2019 at 22:38

Classification

Accident

Location

Dexter, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Cackleberry (2E8)

Coordinates

42.4269, -83.8667

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N21794

Category

Airplane

Year built

1975

Engines

1

Operator

Solo Aviation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ann Arbor → Dexter

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA19CA258

2 people were seriously injured.

The airplane's failure to maintain a climb for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.  

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he configured the airplane with 10º of flaps during a soft-field takeoff with a takeoff run of about 600 ft. After the initial climb and while the airplane was about 75 knots, he retracted the flaps, trimmed the airplane for normal climb, and verified full engine power. About 100 ft above ground level and about two-thirds down the runway, the airplane started to decelerate to about 65 knots. He stated that he leveled the airplane and did not hear the stall warning horn activate or notice if the engine rpm had decreased or stopped producing power, just that the airplane was losing airspeed and that he had no idea what caused it. The pilot verified that the throttle was full open, the mixture was full rich, the carburetor heat was off, and the elevators were in the neutral position, but the airplane continued to decelerate and rapidly descend. In an attempt to level the airplane, he smoothly pulled the yoke aft, but the airplane did not pitch up. The nosewheel impacted the ground, and the airplane nosed over. The tail cone and both wings sustained substantial damage. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that a postaccident examination of the airplane and engine revealed no evidence of any mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.