Cessna 172M N5459H

Summary

On 1 October 1996 at about 01:00 local time, a Cessna 172M registered N5459H, operated by Jonathon E. Allen, was involved in an accident near Cedar City, Utah, 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

1 October 1996 at 01:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Cedar City, Utah, United States

Nearest airport

Hamilton Fort Ranches

Coordinates

37.5908, -113.1901

Aircraft

Cessna 172M

Registration

N5459H

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Jonathon E. Allen

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Torrance

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

SEA96LA221

Nobody was injured.

the pilot's failure to attain proper airspeed during takeoff, which resulted in a premature lift-off and an encounter with the terrain during the aborted landing. Excessive extension of the wing flaps was a related factor.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, he initiated a takeoff from a private strip with what he believed was 10 degrees of flaps. After lift-off, the airplane entered a nose-up attitude, but would not gain altitude. The pilot stated that he '. . . saw no speed on airspeed indicator - decided to set it down. . .' The airplane then nosed into the ground, continued beyond the end of the airstrip, and came to a stop after sliding approximately 60 to 70 feet. Later, the pilot noted that the flaps appeared fully extended to the 40 degrees down position. Also, he noted that he must not have returned the flap switch to the neutral position, and that it did not automatically spring back.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.