Ash Fork, AZ, USA
N6902E
Cessna 175A
The pilot collided with trees during the takeoff initial climb. When the pilot departed runway 2 with full fuel and retracted flaps, he was aware of a quartering tailwind he believed to be around 10 knots. The normal procedure was to depart to the north, due to the downward sloping runway. He flew in and out of the airstrip regularly and did not find the current weather conditions unusual. In the past, the pilot calculated the takeoff distance many times, and usually required about 900 feet to rotate. He could not remember if he had performed any takeoff calculations using the weather and airplane conditions immediately prior to the accident. The trees that the airplane collided with were located about 60 feet from the north end of the runway and were approximately 12 feet tall. Due to the slope of the terrain, the treetops were at the runway elevation. The runway was described as being in "poor condition." Density altitude was about 9,800 feet msl. No mechanical problems were noted with the airplane prior to the accident. The pilot stated that future accidents could be prevented by not departing from short airstrips with a tailwind.
On June 7, 2003, about 1345 mountain standard time, a Cessna 175A, N6902E, collided with trees during takeoff from a private airstrip near Ash Fork, Arizona. The pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot, the sole occupant, sustained minor injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The local personal flight originated from the pilot's privately owned airstrip near Ash Fork. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The primary wreckage was at 35 degrees 07 minutes north latitude and 112 degree 03 minutes west longitude. The pilot stated that he took off on runway 02 with full fuel, and was aware of a quartering tail wind he believed to be around 10 knots. He always took off to the north because the runway slopes downward from south to north. The winds regularly blow from the southwest to northeast and began gusting in the afternoon, and such gusty wind conditions were noted by a neighbor of the airstrip around the time of the accident. Having flown in and out of the airstrip regularly, the pilot was accustomed to departing under such wind conditions. Although much of his memory from the day of the accident has not returned, it is unclear to the pilot what went wrong. In the past, he had calculated the takeoff distance many times, and usually only needed about 900 feet to get off the ground. He could not remember if he had performed any takeoff calculations using the weather and airplane conditions immediately prior to the accident. The trees that he collided with were located approximately 60 feet from the north end of the runway and were about 12 feet tall. Due to the slope of the terrain, the treetops were at the runway elevation. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane prior to the accident, and stated that future accidents could be prevented by not taking off from short airstrips with a tailwind. A deputy sheriff that responded to the accident described the airstrip as having numerous uneven patches of loose dirt and large rocks. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector reported that the airstrip was about 1,200 feet long and in poor condition. Furthermore, a 20- to 30-knot quartering tailwind was present at the time of the accident. Density altitude was approximately 9,800 feet mean sea level (msl). The airplane flaps were in the retracted position. The takeoff performance chart in the airplane Owner's Manual does not address the effects of a dirt or soft runway condition, a tail wind, or sloping terrain. In addition, it only addresses takeoffs with the flaps set to 20 degrees.
The pilot's failure to attain and maintain an adequate airspeed, which resulted in a stall mush condition. Factors were the loose and uneven dirt runway surface, the known tailwind with gusts, and high density altitude.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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