Cessna 172L N3875Q

Summary

On 10 March 2000 at about 16:30 local time, a Cessna 172L registered N3875Q was involved in an accident near Beaufort, North Carolina, 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

10 March 2000 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Beaufort, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Michael J. Smith Field (MRH)

Coordinates

34.7204, -76.6504

Aircraft

Cessna 172L

Registration

N3875Q

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA00LA214

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the pilot to initiate a go-around after the airplane began to porpoise, resulting in a hard landing and structural damage to the airplane.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Several attempts were made to the talk with the pilot but were unsuccessful. The pilot stated during an interview with the insurance adjuster that there were no discrepancies noted during the preflight or engine run-up before takeoff. He stated that after departure the flight remained in the airport traffic pattern where he performed touch-and-go landings. During the flare of the accident landing, the flight was fast and the airplane began to porpoise resulting in a propeller strike. He further stated that he should have initiated a go-around but 'at the time I never experienced the porpoising during the flare. It happened so quickly that I didn't even finish it.' Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the firewall and propeller were damaged.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.