Summary
On September 01, 2008, a Cessna 172SP (N251SP) was involved in an incident near South Harpswell, ME. All 3 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane while landing in gusty winds.
The pilot stated that prior to landing he believed that he had a quartering head wind between 6 and 8 knots. Once over runway 14 at about 10 feet agl., "suddenly the wind shifted and we were lifted up and keeled over to the right. Once I leveled the wings I realized that we were quickly running out of runway." The pilot stated that he attempted a go-around; he put in full power and raised the flaps to 20 degrees. However, he did not have enough power or clearance to stay out of the trees. The pilot banked left to avoid the trees and "dropped" the airplane in a field between houses. The airplane hit the ground and then skidded to a stop into a tree.
This incident is documented in NTSB report MIA08CA179. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N251SP.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane while landing in gusty winds.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot stated that prior to landing he believed that he had a quartering head wind between 6 and 8 knots. Once over runway 14 at about 10 feet agl., "suddenly the wind shifted and we were lifted up and keeled over to the right. Once I leveled the wings I realized that we were quickly running out of runway." The pilot stated that he attempted a go-around; he put in full power and raised the flaps to 20 degrees. However, he did not have enough power or clearance to stay out of the trees. The pilot banked left to avoid the trees and "dropped" the airplane in a field between houses. The airplane hit the ground and then skidded to a stop into a tree. The reported weather conditions at Brunswick, Maine, at the time of the accident was visual meteorological conditions with winds at 340 degrees at 19 knots gusting to 27 knots. The pilot said he and the two passengers were out of the airplane in 15 seconds. Damage to the airplane consisted of the left wing and empennage. Emergency responders arrived within 5 minutes, but no one was injured. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# MIA08CA179