Cessna 172 N739RH

Summary

On 30 April 2009 at about 18:30 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N739RH was involved in an accident near Greenville, Maine, 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

30 April 2009 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Greenville, Maine, United States

Nearest airport

Greenville Municipal Airport (3B1)

Coordinates

45.4631, -69.5514

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N739RH

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Greenville → Penobscot Lake

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA09CA280

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s premature rotation during takeoff.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was repositioning his floatplane from a land-based airport to a seaplane base. The takeoff was performed using a dolly, towed by a pickup truck with a 60-foot rope. He stated that the tow vehicle accelerated to flying speed; however, he prematurely rotated. The airplane did not have enough airspeed for the pilot to be able to maintain control. He climbed to an altitude of approximately 60 feet, stalled the airplane, and subsequently impacted the ground. The airplane received substantial damage to the wings and firewall. The recorded wind at a weather station three miles west of the accident airport, about the time of the accident, was variable at 5 knots. The pilot reported that the engine was operating properly and that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.