Cessna 177RG N2972X

Summary

On 25 March 1989 at about 17:30 local time, a Cessna 177RG registered N2972X was involved in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. 3 people were on board and 2 died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 March 1989 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States

Nearest airport

Coronado (4AC)

Coordinates

35.1800, -106.5907

Aircraft

Cessna 177RG

Registration

N2972X

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Phoenix

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN89FA093

2 people died.

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF FLAPS DURING TAKEOFF WHICH RESULTED IN INADEQUATE AIRSPEED, A STALL, AND LOSS OF CONTROL.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

SURVIVING PAX SAID ACFT BANKED STEEPLY TO LEFT AFTER TAKEOFF AND SHUDDERED. HE SAW PLT REACH FOR FLAP CONTROL HANDLE. PAX REMEMBERED HORN BLOWING IN BACKGROUND. WITNESSES SAID ACFT SPEED AND CLIMB RATE WERE SLOW AND SAW ACFT WOBBLE AND DIP WINGS. ONE WITNESS, IN LINE WITH ACFT TAKEOFF PATH, SAW FLAPS BEING RETRACTED SLIGHTLY. EXAMINATION OF WRECKAGE DISCLOSED FLAP JACKSCREW EXTENDED 10 THREADS OR 1.66 INCHES, EQUIVALENT TO APRX 14 DEG FLAPS DOWN. MANUFACTURER SUGGESTS TAKE OFF WITH FLAPS UP OR 1/4 (7.5 DEG) DOWN. PLT WAS KNOWN TO HAVE HABIT OF STARTING TAKEOFF ROLL WITH FLAPS UP AND, AS LIFTOFF SPEED WAS ATTAINED, TO 'SLAP' FLAP HANDLE DOWN TO DETENT (1/4 OR 7.5 DEG SETTING). EXPERIMENTATION LATER SHOWED THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE TO SLAP FLAP HANDLE INADVERTENTLY PAST DETENT OR FULL DOWN POSITION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.