N385ME

Substantial
None

CESSNA 172SS/N: 172S8580

Accident Details

Date
Thursday, December 23, 2010
NTSB Number
ERA11CA096
Location
Fort Myers, FL
Event ID
20101227X21121
Coordinates
26.585277, -81.857780
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
Highest Injury
None
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
0
Minor Injuries
0
Uninjured
1
Total Aboard
1

Probable Cause and Findings

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.

Aircraft Information

Registration
N385ME
Make
CESSNA
Serial Number
172S8580
Engine Type
Reciprocating
Year Built
2000
Model / ICAO
172SC172
Aircraft Type
Fixed Wing Single Engine
No. of Engines
1

Registered Owner (Historical)

Name
C & J AVIATION
Address
227 MARINERS WAY
Status
Deregistered
City
BEAR
State / Zip Code
DE 19701-2295
Country
United States

Analysis

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.

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA11CA096