Cessna 182A N9977B

Summary

On 7 March 1998 at about 19:45 local time, a Cessna 182A registered N9977B was involved in an accident near Fogelsville, Pennsylvania, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 March 1998 at 19:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Fogelsville, Pennsylvania, United States

Coordinates

40.5892, -75.6607

Aircraft

Cessna 182A

Registration

N9977B

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Kutztown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

IAD98LA031

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the aircraft upon glider release. A contributing factor was the high vegetation (corn).

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After an off airport landing, the glider pilot called for assistance. A certificated flight instructor (CFI) drove to the site to assess towing the glider from the field. The CFI estimated the field to be 1,000 feet long and oriented northwest/southeast. The northwest edge of the field terminated at the edge of a field of 4 foot high corn. After arriving in the C-182, the tow and glider pilots agreed that the field length was satisfactory. With one notch of flaps set, a quarter tank of fuel in both wing tanks, and utilizing a shorter tow rope, the tow airplane accelerated with the engine producing full power. The glider was airborne halfway across the field, but released when the glider pilot saw the tow airplane approaching the corn field. After the glider released, the tow airplane pitched nose-up, and the tow pilot last remembered pushing forward on the yoke. The airplane came to rest in a vertical, nose down attitude, against small trees at the bottom of a ravine. Corn stalks, about 4 feet high, contained a cut area the width of the airplane's elevator. Pieces of corn stalks were found lodged between the airplane's stabilator and elevator. No mechanical malfunctions were found in the airframe or engine.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.