The pilot and three passengers boarded the Cessna 172 for a flight at night near Willoughby Hills, Ohio.
The controller cleared the flight for takeoff and observed the airplane lift off about 2,000 feet down the runway.
Shortly after liftoff, the pilot contacted the controller and reported that the airplane was not “climbing fast” and that he wanted to make a left turn to return to the airport. The controller approved the left turn and observed the airplane begin a left turn and descend to impact with the terrain, killing all four aboard.
A post-impact fire ensued.
Examination of the accident site indicated that the airplane impacted in a steep descent.
The witness observations and the impact geometry are consistent with the pilot failing to maintain adequate airspeed while turning to return to the airport, resulting in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall.
Weight and balance calculations showed that the airplane was between 93.6 and 165.6 pounds over maximum gross weight at the time of the accident.
The decreased takeoff climb performance reported by the pilot was likely due to the airplane’s over gross weight condition.
The NTSB determined the probable cause as the pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane while returning to the airport immediately after takeoff, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and entering an aerodynamic stall during the turn. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inadequate preflight planning, which resulted in the airplane being over maximum gross weight and its subsequent decrease in takeoff climb performance.
NTSB Identification: CEN14FA453
This August 2014 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
The aircraft was 166 lbs over gross according to the Docket (see: http://dms.ntsb.gov/public/57500-57999/57959/582977.pdf). The NTSB Factual report stated the maximum useful load was 787 lbs, which meant the useful load was exceeded by about 23% at takeoff. Since passenger and pilot weights were self reported they may or may not be accurate. My experience suggests most people understate their flight weights by 10-15 pounds. The pilot had only a few hours (about 15) accumulated since receiving his PPL. Nearly all of his flight time was solo or with an instructor. He probably didn’t know what a fully loaded (or grossly overloaded) plane felt like. The post crash photos are chilling: http://dms.ntsb.gov/public/57500-57999/57959/582983.pdf
I was almost sure that all pilots even student pilot’s, had learned, been told, self education from the planes weight’s & balance book, -before ever being solo what can happen, and it would have been apparent while on taxi before ever going wheels up! -He had to notice higher T/O spd, longer T/O run, reduced rate and angle of climb, I mean if he was on top of things he could have even felt it in ground effect and it would only have been a simple rejected Landing, and I still see this everyday, a pilot tells the passengers I have a 172, they look and see room for 4, see a pilot across the tarmac loading baggage and 4 pass in a plane that they can read 172 on it, so they think all is well -in fact the pilot across the tarmac is loading up in a 172 w a 180 hp engine, the other passengers don’t know anything about that, it’s all good there flying in a 172 also, only it’s a 1965 model w/145 hp and New paint -those are almost the difference in a 150 to a older 172, but that’s usually how it goes -what happens to pilots after they have a few yrs and just enough experience to be dangerous -is it a macho thing, a don’t want to look bad at the A/P thing -to me it’s just a common sense rule, I have seen 3 grown men climb out of a 150 in AK w/baggage -but the pilot customized his plane with a 160hp -climb prop, frt strut and fork from a 210, w/3 big 20′ tundra tires, V/G’s, Stol kit, and the ambient temp is about 40F an low density altitude, Yes it can be done -but 4 good feed country boy’s on a hot day, with a older and tired 172 w/a wk 145hp cont engine, what was he “not” thinking -I don’t know you can’t teach common since -I fell bad for all 4, but ultimately the whole fiasco fall’s on the shoulders of the “man”-that tried to fly a brick and did, he just couldn’t manage to make it turn 90degree’s and get it back on the ground -SAFELY, use your common since and your checklist, it save’s live,, just my opinion !
The NTSB report says that the 172 had the 180 hp engine. You can check that off your list of things that caused the crash. Just my opinion.
In addition to an obvious lack of knowledge as to the expected climb performance from this airplane given its weight and balance at takeoff and the density altitude about which I suspect this pilot had no clue, he compounded the poor performance situation by initiating a panic turn when the only viable course of action was to continue straight ahead gaining a minimum altitude of 500 AGL, leveling and accelerating before initiating a turn and then at a max of 20 degrees.
The plane did climb, albeit very slowly, had he watched his air speed and allow the plane to slowly gain more altitude, he then could lower the nose, gain enough speed to make the turn back to the airport. And, yes a 172 is 3 passengers max with a box lunch.
If it didn’t have enough power or extra speed to climb, it darn sure didn’t have enough to make a turn.
Can not put four adults in a 172, almost everyone knows that,except that dead pilot!
Since stall speed increases with bank angle, it would be interesting to know what terrain looked like for this fellow on runway heading to cause him to turn
Willoughby Hills is a bit of a misnomer. It’s close to Lake Erie and there is little or no terrain in northern Ohio. It’s inside the CLE Bravo airspace, but he would have been okay below 5,000. The elevation in that area is only a little over 600 ft. I can’t imagine he was trying to avoid terrain. My guess-and that’s exactly what it is-would be he panicked when the plane barely got off the ground and made a turn that caused a stall trying to get back on the ground too quickly.