N53512

On October 22, 2000, about 1344 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172P, N53512, registered to Eagle Aircraft Corporation, and operated as Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed after departing from Powell Airport, Knoxville, Tennessee. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The pilot and two passengers received serious injuries, and the airplane incurred substantial damage. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.

The pilot stated that he taxied the aircraft into position for takeoff on runway 5, but could not use the first 15 feet of the runway, so he positioned the aircraft as closely as possible. He said he conducted the engine runup, and using the pilot operating handbook as a guide, engaged 10 degrees of flaps. He said that he held the brakes and applied full power, and with full power applied he began the takeoff roll. The pilot further stated that the takeoff roll was extremely bumpy, and the airplane was not accelerating as it should, and the remaining available runway was decreasing. He said there were trees at the end of the runway, but he did not feel that he could have applied the brakes and stop the takeoff roll without running into the trees at the end of the runway. The pilot further stated that he felt that the airplane's acceleration was being impeded by the cracks on the runway which had grass growing in them, so he decided to transition to a soft field takeoff. The pilot said that initially the climbout was "okay", but the proximity and height of the trees required that he maintain an airspeed of approximately 60 knots, and at that airspeed the aircraft seemed less and less responsive. He said he became increasingly concerned about the height of trees at the end of the runway, and divided his attention between the airspeed indicator and the trees, trying to maintain 60 KIAS through the climbout. He said he attempted to lower the pitch to increase the airspeed a couple of times during the climbout to benefit by the speed increase, but the aircraft seemed less and less responsive. According to the pilot, the "plane failed to provide the necessary lift in order to continue the climbout, and nose-dived to the ground."

A witness, who stated that he is a 19,000-hour pilot, said that he saw the accident aircraft execute the takeoff, and it rotated to climbout at about the midfield point. The witness further stated that the aircraft sounded as if it was developing full power, and it remained in an extreme nose-up attitude during climbout, "operating on the back side of the power curve." The witness further stated that he saw the aircraft "mush", and the left wing rose briefly, and the aircraft turned to the left, and descended, impacting the ground.

An FAA Inspector, along with representatives from Cessna Aircraft Company, and Textron Lycoming Company, conducted postcrash examinations of the accident aircraft, and no preaccident failures or malfunctions were found with the aircraft structure, the flight control system, or the engine. The inspector further stated that the pilot had elected to take off on an upsloping runway, towards rising terrain, with trees at the end of the runway. The wind velocity was about 4 knots at the time of the accident.