Aviation Accident Summaries

Aviation Accident Summary DEN92LA057

ENGLEWOOD, CO, USA

Aircraft #1

N65513

CESSNA 172P

Analysis

THE PILOT SET 10 DEGREES OF FLAPS AND LEANED THE MIXTURE BY PULLING THE CONTROL AFT ONE INCH, EXPLAINING THAT WAS THE WAY HE HAD BEEN TAUGHT. HE TOOK OFF WITH THREE PASSENGERS AND FULL FUEL. A WITNESS SAW THE AIRPLANE AT LOW ALTITUDE AND AIRSPEED WITH THE NOSE APPROXIMATELY 45 DEGREES ABOVE THE HORIZON, AND SAID IT SEEMED TO BE 'STRUGGLING TO GAIN ALTITUDE.' THE PILOT FLEW TOWARDS GRADUALLY RISING TERRAIN. THE LEFT WING DROPPED AND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A GOLF COURSE. IT WAS COMPUTED THE AIRPLANE WAS APPROXIMATELY 122 POUNDS OVER MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT AND DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS 7,654 FT MSL.

Probable Cause and Findings

AIRPLANE CLIMB CAPABILITY EXCEEDED AND AN INADVERTENT PILOT INDUCED STALL. FACTORS WERE: WEIGHT AND BALANCE EXCEEDED, HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE, AND IMPROPER USE OF THE MIXTURE CONTROL.

 

Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database

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