Cessna 172 N8803B

Summary

On 4 November 2004 at about 19:45 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N8803B was involved in an accident near Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, United States. 2 people were 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

4 November 2004 at 19:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, United States

Nearest airport

Lakes Region Airport (8B8)

Coordinates

43.5875, -71.2661

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N8803B

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wolfeboro → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

IAD05LA010

Nobody was injured.

A jammed control wheel during landing. A contributing factor to the accident was the inadequate maintenance inspection of the airplane's flight control system.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After entering the traffic pattern, the flight instructor was requested by the private pilot to make the first landing. As the airplane passed over the approach end of the runway, the flight instructor attempted to flare for landing three times, but without success. On the third attempt the airplane struck the runway, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the propeller contacted the runway. A post accident examination revealed that the accident airplane's control tee pulleys for the aileron control system would get "hung up" on the radio tray assembly, which inhibited the elevator travel. Numerous components in the airplane's flight control system exhibited wear, and could be moved laterally out of their normal range of travel. The radio mounting assembly also did not include the installation of a vertical support to help assure proper clearance with portions of the airplane's flight control system. No maintenance activity concerning the affected components was noted. The last annual inspection was performed 13 days prior to the accident. During an interview with a mechanic that conducted the annual inspection, he observed wear on one of the components, but believed that it would not be a problem. The maintenance facility's work order form for the airplane also noted that wear was observed on an "aft bulkhead elevator pulley," but no clearing action was recorded for the pulley or the other component. According to the Cessna 100 series service manual, an inspection of the "elevator system for correct rigging and proper travel" was required during an annual inspection.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.