Accident Cessna 172RG N3745B,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 35978
 
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Date:Monday 5 September 1994
Time:10:44 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic C172 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Cessna 172RG
Owner/operator:El Toro Aero Club
Registration: N3745B
MSN: 172RG0303
Total airframe hrs:3347 hours
Engine model:Lycoming O-360-F1A6
Fatalities:Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Truckee, CA -   United States of America
Phase: Initial climb
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Truckee Tahoe, CA
Destination airport:El Toro, CA (KNZJ)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
THE PILOT (PIC) AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE DEPARTING FROM THE MOUNTAIN AIRPORT AT A DENSITY ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 7542 FEET. THE PIC WAS A MILITARY PILOT WITH 288 HOURS OF TOTAL FLIGHT TIME, OF WHICH 144 HOURS WERE LOGGED AS HELICOPTER TIME. ABOUT FOUR MONTHS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, THE PIC WAS ISSUED AN FAA COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE BASED ON HIS MILITARY COMPETENCE. ABOUT A MONTH BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, HE HAD A CHECKOUT IN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE. BY THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, HE HAD ACCUMULATED ABOUT 11 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME IN THE CESSNA 172RG. THE AIRPLANE WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 32 POUNDS OVER ITS MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT. GROUND WITNESSES SAW IT ROTATE AT MID-FIELD, ASSUME A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE, AND REACH AN ESTIMATED 100 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY. THEY REPORTED THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED PAST THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY WITHOUT GAINING ADDITIONAL ALTITUDE, WHERE IT ENTERED A LEFT TURN. THE AIRPLANE THEN ROLLED TO THE LEFT AND IMPACTED THE GROUND INVERTED. POSTCRASH EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE ELEVATOR TRIM TAB WAS AT 10 DEGREES TAB DOWN. NORMAL TAKEOFF ELEVATOR TRIM WAS ABOUT NEUTRAL OR ZERO DEGREES. NO PREIMPACT MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE OF THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE ACCIDENT, THOUGH THE PLANE WAS DAMAGED BY FIRE.

Probable Cause: FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO OBTAIN/MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED TO CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF, WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL AND SUBSEQUENT COLLISION WITH THE GROUND. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE, IMPROPER TRIM SETTING FOR TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE'S EXCESSIVE GROSS WEIGHT, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE MAKE/MODEL OF AIRPLANE.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: LAX94FA353
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 11 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB LAX94FA353

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
24-Oct-2008 10:30 ASN archive Added
21-Dec-2016 19:22 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
09-Apr-2024 19:29 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report]

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