N34218 – CESSNA 177B – 2011-10-10 NTSB Accident Report

On October 10, 2011, a Cessna 177B (N34218) was involved in an incident near Honesdale, PA. All 2 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 excessive airspeed during final approach and his delayed decision to abort the landing, resulting in the in-flight collision with trees during the go-around.

The pilot stated that he proceeded to the destination airport and entered the traffic pattern for runway 36, which is a 2,420 foot-long asphalt runway that was dry. While on final approach with the flaps set to 30 degrees (full down) he reported that he was a little too fast (85 to 90 miles-per-hour) instead of 70 miles-per-hour. He stated that he did not perceive to float over the runway but after touchdown, he realized there was insufficient runway remaining to stop. He added power to go-around and raised the flaps incrementally; the engine responded. He continued ahead and while airborne, the airplane collided with trees. He confirmed there was nothing mechanically wrong with the airplane, and further stated that the accident could have been avoided by being on-speed.

This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA12CA020. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N34218.