Cessna 172D N2559U

Summary

On 28 April 2012 at about 19:10 local time, a Cessna 172D registered N2559U was involved in an accident near Beckwourth, California, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 April 2012 at 19:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Beckwourth, California, United States

Nearest airport

Private

Coordinates

39.4933, -120.1703

Aircraft

Cessna 172D

Registration

N2559U

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Beckwourth → Nervino

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR12LA189

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain sufficient airspeed during initial climb, which resulted in a loss of airplane control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was departing from a 2,300-foot-long dirt airstrip. The pilot reported that, based on his pretakeoff calculations, he configured the airplane with 10 degrees of flaps for a soft-field takeoff and that, due to the soft terrain, the airplane required a longer-than-normal takeoff distance. Shortly after rotation, the pilot initiated a gradual left turn. According to a witness, when the airplane was about 100 feet above the ground, it rolled farther left, to about a 90-degree bank. Unable to climb or maintain altitude, the pilot leveled the wings and pitched the nose down in an attempt to regain airspeed; however, he realized there was insufficient altitude, and he landed the airplane in a field. During the landing roll, the airplane nosed over. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.