Cessna 172 N1827Y

Summary

On 19 October 2016 at about 11:25 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N1827Y was involved in an accident near Cedar Key, Florida, United States. 3 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 October 2016 at 11:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Cedar Key, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

George T Lewis (CDK)

Coordinates

29.1375, -83.0464

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N1827Y

Category

Airplane

Year built

1962

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cedar Key → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA17LA024

2 people had minor injuries.

A partial loss of engine power due to a stuck exhaust valve and the noncertificated pilot's inadequate preflight planning, which resulted in the airplane being overloaded, both of which led to the airplane's inability to attain a positive climb rate. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's improper decision to attempt to return to the airport at low altitude and his subsequent failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack, which led to an aerodynamic stall.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Two witnesses reported that, during the first takeoff attempt, the accident airplane's engine was "sputtering," and the pilot aborted the takeoff about halfway down the 2,355-ft-long runway. The noncertificated pilot reported that, during the accident takeoff, the airplane would not climb out of ground effect. (The witnesses stated that the engine sounded normal.) When the airplane reached about 100 ft above ground level, the pilot attempted to return to the airport; however, the airplane descended and impacted shallow water about 600 ft short of the runway. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed damage consistent with a  Review of weight and balance data and loading information revealed that the airplane's gross weight at the time of the accident was about 50 lbs over its maximum allowable gross weight and that the center of gravity was at or beyond the forward limit. The pilot's loading of the airplane placed it outside of its operating envelope, which likely significantly degraded its performance. Postaccident examination of the engine found one exhaust valve stuck in the "open" position. If the valve had been stuck during all or a portion of either takeoff, the airplane's acceleration and climb performance would have been significantly degraded. It is likely that the airplane was unable to attain a positive climb rate due to a combination of the stuck exhaust valve and the pilot's operation of the airplane over its weight limit. It is also likely that, while attempting to return to the airport instead of landing straight ahead, the pilot failed to maintain adequate airspeed and exceeded the airplane's critical angle of attack, which led to an aerodynamic stall.  

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.