Cessna 182A N4951D

Summary

On 8 July 1997 at about 19:30 local time, a Cessna 182A registered N4951D was involved in an accident near Hayfield Twnshp, Pennsylvania, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 July 1997 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Hayfield Twnshp, Pennsylvania, United States

Coordinates

41.7092, -80.1302

Aircraft

Cessna 182A

Registration

N4951D

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → North East

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC97LA140

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's improper decision to attempt a takeoff from unsuitable terrain and failure to maintain airspeed. A factor in this accident was the gusty wind conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he had performed a precautionary landing to a corn field due to strong winds, heavy rain, and low fuel. He refueled the airplane and decided to continue to his destination. Initially, the pilot performed a partial takeoff, which was aborted, to obtain the conditions of the field. The pilot then elected to take off from the wet field, which was sloped uphill, and contained corn plants approximately 12 inches high. The pilot stated that during the takeoff, the airspeed was low, and that he overcorrected for gusty winds. The airplane's wing tip contacted the ground, the airplane ground looped and a postcrash fire ensued. Winds reported at a nearby airport were from 230 degrees at 15 knots gusting to 23 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.