The pilot stated that, during the second low pass over a friend’s grass airstrip, the airplane was “low and slow” and unable to maintain altitude.
He applied throttle, however he “got behind the airplane, and it got him.”
Subsequently, the Cessna 177 settled, touched down, and overran the north end of the runway at the airport in Marathon, N.Y. The airplane then hit a road, became airborne shortly, and came to rest nose down.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, fuselage, and empennage.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain altitude and airspeed while maneuvering at a low altitude.
NTSB Identification: GAA17CA249
This April 2017 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.
I like the pilots response; he didn’t make excuses, but explained how he got behind with the plane and couldn’t change the results. As pilots, we do our best to minimize bad decisions, but occasionally one slips in. When we make a mistake, we can only hope to learn from it.