Cessna 172 N8404X

Summary

On 30 August 2015 at about 16:30 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N8404X, operated by Housel LLC, was involved in an accident near New Enterprise, Pennsylvania, 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

30 August 2015 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

New Enterprise, Pennsylvania, United States

Coordinates

40.2164, -78.4347

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N8404X

Category

Airplane

Year built

1961

Engines

1

Operator

Housel LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Newry → New Enterprise

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA15CA243

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's exceedance of the critical angle of attack during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that after a "normal" landing, he performed a 180 degree turn at the end of the grass airstrip and started his takeoff roll. After accelerating to 65 miles per hour, he reported that the airplane became airborne at the crest of an incline, but about 20 feet above the ground the airplane began to "quickly lose airspeed." The stall warning horn sounded, the left wing dropped, and the airplane entered an aerodynamic stall. Subsequently, the airplane impacted terrain and collided with a fence at the end of the grass airstrip. The fuselage and both wings sustained substantial damage.     The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.