Cessna 162 N30321

Summary

On 29 July 2019 at about 12:32 local time, a Cessna 162 registered N30321, operated by H & H Versatile Services Inc, was involved in an accident near Vernal, Utah, 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

29 July 2019 at 12:32

Classification

Accident

Location

Vernal, Utah, United States

Nearest airport

Vernal Regional Airport (VEL)

Coordinates

40.4483, -109.5069

Aircraft

Cessna 162

Registration

N30321

Category

Airplane

Year built

2011

Engines

1

Operator

H & H Versatile Services Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Vernal → Vernal

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR19LA204

2 people were seriously injured.

The flight instructor's abrupt maneuver at an altitude too low for recovery, which resulted in impact with the runway.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor stated that he was demonstrating a soft field takeoff for the student pilot. While climbing away from the runway at best angle of climb, he saw a gray streak out of the corner of his eye and “immediately pitched up to avoid a wildlife strike.” The engine lost power and the pilot quickly pitched forward to lower the angle of attack; he did not recall anything further. The student reported that the airplane lifted off the runway and increased speed close to the ground when the flight instructor pulled the control stick back abruptly and the airplane climbed at an extreme angle of attack. After a few seconds of going straight up, it felt as if the airplane stalled; however, the stall warning horn never sounded. The flight instructor then pushed the nose down. As they rapidly approached the ground, the flight instructor pulled up, but the airplane impacted the ground and bounced before it came to rest.   An on-scene examination revealed propeller striations on the runway surface and no indications of a birdstrike on the airframe or runway. Two different types of bird feathers were found near the runway shortly after the accident, but they were dry and likely present prior to the accident. A postaccident airframe and engine examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Damage to the propeller blades and the striations on the runway were consistent with the engine producing power at the time of impact. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the flight instructor’s abrupt maneuvering of the airplane at an altitude too low to recover and subsequent impact with the runway.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.