Pilot Debrief

Cessna 172 near Mansfield, MA — 2019-02-23

Final reportERA19FA107
Sign in to save
Date
2019-02-23
Location
Mansfield, MA, USA
Airport
1B9
Aircraft
Cessna 172
Registration
N224TA
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
2
Phase of flight
Initial climb

Probable cause

The flight instructor's failure to maintain airplane control during initial climb after a touch-and-go landing, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall.

NTSB narrative

After practicing maneuvers during the instructional flight, the flight instructor and student pilot approached the airport for landing. Witnesses and airport surveillance video indicated that the airplane entered the landing flare, but continued to float down the runway a significant distance, touching down about 2,800 ft down the 3,503-ft-long runway. The pilots then initiated a takeoff (touch-and-go). Although the published airport traffic pattern for the runway indicated left turns, the airplane performed a climb in a steep right bank before slowing and entering a spiraling decent toward a grass area near the airport terminal building. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. It is likely that the flight instructor allowed the airplane to exceed its critical angle of attack during a turning initial climb after a touch-and-go landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain. Although it could not be determined who was flying the airplane at the time of the accident, the flight instructor is ultimately responsible for the safety of the flight.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilots could have adhered to the published traffic pattern for runway 32.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Video
  • Photos
  • 13 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents13

Related mishaps