Pilot Debrief

CESSNA R182 near Mooresville, NC — 2017-03-29

Final reportERA17LA141
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Date
2017-03-29
Location
Mooresville, NC, USA
Airport
1NC2
Aircraft
CESSNA R182
Registration
N2383C
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Takeoff roll

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to properly configure the airplane's flaps for takeoff, which resulted in a longer ground roll and subsequent runway excursion.

NTSB narrative

After an uneventful preflight inspection and engine runup, the private pilot attempted to take off from a 1,700-ft-long turf runway for the personal flight. During the takeoff roll, as the airplane reached a point on the runway where it would normally lift off (about 1,200 ft down the runway), the pilot pulled back on the yoke, but the airplane did not climb. The pilot recalled that the airspeed was close to 60 knots; he did not recall any engine instrument indications and noted that the engine sounded normal. When he realized that the airplane was not going to take off and a collision appeared imminent, he advised his passenger to prepare for impact. As the airplane approached a fence just beyond the departure end of the runway, he pulled back on the yoke and the airplane lifted off, flew over the fence, then descended and struck another fence before coming to rest in the driveway of his residence. Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Given this and the pilot's description that the engine appeared to be operating normally during the takeoff, it is unlikely that a partial loss of engine power contributed to the accident. Review of takeoff performance data in the pilot operating handbook for the airplane make and model revealed that, given the airplane's weight and approximate weather conditions around the time of the accident, the airplane should have been able to become airborne with the runway available; however, the data assumed the flaps were set to 20° extension. Although the pilot believed the flaps were "down" when he started the takeoff roll, he noticed that they were "up" after the accident, which suggests that he may not have actually set them to 20° before initiating the takeoff. This fully retracted flap setting may have reduced the airplane's takeoff performance and resulted in a longer ground roll than expected.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted takeoff when the airplane didn't want to fly.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • FDR / data
  • Photos
  • 7 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents7

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