CESSNA 172S
Fort Myers, FL, December 23, 2010
Event Information
| Date | December 23, 2010 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| Location | Fort Myers, FL |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 26.58528, -81.85778 |
| Airport | Page Field Airport |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
| NTSB Number | ERA11CA096 |
| Event ID | 20101227X21121 |
Aircraft
| Make | CESSNA |
| Model | 172S |
| Registration # | N385ME |
| Operator | SUNDOWNERS INC |
| Owner | SUNDOWNERS INC |
| Category | AIR |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 1 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s attempt to take off with full flaps.
Full Narrative
According to the pilot, he was practicing touch and go landings on runway 5, a 6,404-foot-long, 150-foot-wide runway. During the takeoff roll following his eighth landing, the pilot felt "a gust of wind pushing…the plane to the left." He applied full right aileron, but could not arrest the turn. The pilot then applied the brakes, but the airplane departed the left side of the runway, impacted a ditch, and came to rest inverted, resulting in substantial damage to the firewall, wings, and vertical stabilizer. During a subsequent examination of the wreckage, a Federal Aviation Administration inspector found the flaps in the FULL, 30-degree position. The inspector also reported that there were no preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane. Winds, recorded at the airport about the time of the accident, were from 350 degrees true at 7 knots.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.