Probable cause: The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a long landing and a runway excursion.
NTSB
Precautionary landing bends plane
Probable cause: The pilot’s decision to continue flight in mountainous terrain with downdraft conditions, which necessitated a precautionary landing on unsuitable terrain.
Overweight Cessna 172 ends up in ditch
Probable cause: The pilot’s decision to take off with the airplane over its maximum gross weight due to his failure to perform preflight weight and balance calculations, which affected the airplane’s takeoff performance, and his subsequent decision to abort the takeoff with too little runway remaining, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Student’s attempt at hand-propping bends Luscombe
Probable cause: The student pilot’s use of an improper engine hand-propping procedure, which resulted in the airplane’s unexpected movement.
Pilot stalls on takeoff during proficiency check
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during the takeoff initial climb, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Ag pilot hits pole inflight
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to see and avoid a pole during an agricultural application flight.
Pilot hits wrong switch
Probable cause: The pilot’s inadvertent landing gear retraction during the landing roll.
Wrong flap setting bends Cessna 150
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during a maximum performance takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Also causal was the pilot’s failure to use the appropriate flap setting in accordance with the manufacturer’s Maximum Performance Takeoff checklist.
Plane hits pole in parking lot after it runs out of gas
Probable cause: The pilot’s inadequate preflight fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.



