Saturday, October 03, 2015

Cessna 172B Skyhawk, N7837X: Accident occurred October 03, 2015 near Benton Field Airport (O85), Redding, Shasta County, California

http://registry.faa.gov/N7837X

NTSB Identification: GAA16LA001
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, October 03, 2015 in Redding, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 02/03/2016
Aircraft: CESSNA 172B, registration: N7837X
Injuries: 1 Serious, 1 Uninjured.

NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

The private pilot reported that, while landing after a cross-country flight, the landing roll seemed “fast” even though the airplane touched down “not far” past the runway numbers. The pilot determined that he would not be able to stop the airplane on the remaining runway, so he applied full power and aborted the landing. The airplane was in ground effect as it passed over the departure end of the runway. The pilot thought that the airplane was not going to clear the tree line in its flightpath, so he maneuvered the airplane to land on a dirt road. During the landing roll, the left wing impacted a barbed wire fence. The pilot reported that, during the initial landing, he “landed with a stiff tailwind on a short runway.” The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

During the accident, the passenger seated in the front right seat was ejected from the airplane and sustained a serious injury. According to the pilot, the passenger’s seat had been in the “full rearward” position, which placed the lap belt attachment points about “mid-thigh” and probably did not allow the shoulder harness to be “tightened securely.”

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot’s improper decision to land the airplane on a short runway with a tailwind and his subsequent delayed decision to abort the landing. 

On October 3, 2015, about 1130 Pacific daylight time (PDT), a Cessna 172B airplane, N7837X, struck a barbed wire fence after aborting the landing at Benton Field Airport (O85) about 1 mile west of Redding, California. The private pilot sustained minor injuries and the sole passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The airplane was registered to a private individual and operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR), personal cross-country flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Yuba County Airport (MYV), Yuba City, California about 1030.

The pilot reported that the landing roll seemed "fast" despite the fact the airplane touched down "not far passed" the runway numbers. When the pilot determined that he would not be able to stop the airplane on the runway remaining, he applied full power in an attempt to abort the landing. 

The pilot reported that the airplane was still in ground effect as they passed over the departure end of the runway. He reported that he could see that they were not going to "clear" the tree line in their flight path. The pilot maneuvered to land on a dirt road that was "cut" into the hillside. 

The pilot reported that as they touched down on the dirt road it was "very loud and rough". During the landing roll the left wing impacted a barbed wire fence.

During the accident sequence, the passenger who was seated in the front right seat, was ejected from the airplane, and found about 30 feet from the wreckage. The pilot reported that the passenger's seat and seat belt were both intact and connected. The pilot reported that the passenger's seat was in the "full rearward" position, which placed the lap belt attachment points about "mid-thigh", and probably did not allow the shoulder harness to be "tightened securely".

In the operator/owner safety recommendation section of the pilot accident reporting form, the pilot reported "it is clear and obvious to me; I landed with a stiff tailwind on a short runway". 

The pilot reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located about 6 miles to the southeast, revealed that, at 1153 PDT, conditions were wind 350 degrees true at 12 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, and sky clear.
  
NTSB Identification: GAA16LA001 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, October 03, 2015 in Redding, CA
Aircraft: CESSNA 172B, registration: N7837X
Injuries: 1 Serious, 1 Minor.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On October 3, 2015, about 1200 pacific daylight time (PDT), a Cessna 172B airplane, N7837X, struck a barbed wire fence after aborting the landing at Benton Field Airport (O85) about 1 mile west of Redding, California. The private pilot sustained minor injuries and the sole passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The airplane was registered to a private individual and operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR), personal cross-country flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Yuba County Airport (MYV), Yuba City, about 1030.The passenger was ejected from the airplane during the accident sequence, and found about 30 feet from the wreckage. 

The wreckage was recovered and transported to a secure facility in Sacramento California for further examination. 

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located about 6 miles to the southeast, revealed that, at 1153 PDT, conditions were wind 350 degrees true at 12 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, and sky clear.

FAA Flight Standards District Office: FAA Sacramento FSDO-25









REDDING, California -   Redding firefighters say they are investigating the cause of the plane crash that sent a woman to the hospital today.

The crash, reported at 11:15 a.m. at the south end of Benton Airfield, didn't hurt the pilot, said Rob Pitt, battalion chief.

The woman he was with suffered "significant injuries" and was rushed to Mercy Medical Center, Pitt said. Three engines and a truck went to the crash, he said.

UPDATED AT 1:30 p.m.

A plane crash in west Redding sent a woman to a hospital Saturday, authorities said.

A single-engine Cessna 172 out of Yuba City crashed just south of Benton Airpark after the pilot said he didn’t have enough runway to land the plane.

“It wasn’t anything extraordinary,” the pilot, David Marth, of Rancho Cordova, said of the crash shortly after it happened. “It certainly wasn’t the plane’s fault.”

The plane crashed in a canyon a few hundred feet south of the airpark next to a dirt and gravel road.

“He landed on runway 15 and had a little too much speed and ended up going off the end of the runway,” said Bryan Garrett, Redding Airports Manager.

Dispatchers reported the crash at about 11:15 a.m. The call prompted Redding Fire Department and police crews to respond, though the crash didn’t spark a fire in the dried out grass in the canyon.

The plane landed downwind, which isn’t optimal in windy conditions, Garrett said. A nearby weather monitoring station recorded wind gusts up to 18 mph at about the time of the crash, according to National Weather Service data.

Marth wasn’t injured in the crash though his wife, who wasn’t identified, was taken to a local hospital. Marth followed shortly after speaking with police, firefighters and other city personnel.

Firefighters initially reported major injuries to the woman, though the exact nature of those injuries is unknown.

Redding notified the National Transportation Safety Board, which then gave the city permission to move the plane wreckage, Garrett said.

“As soon as that happens, then it’s usually an insurance thing,” he said. “Same as it would be as a car on the roadside.”

Follow up on the crash will be handled by the Federal Aviation Administration’s Flight Standards District Office in Sacramento, Garrett said.

UPDATED AT 12:15p.m.

A Cessna 172 out of Yuba City crashed near Benton Airpark in west Redding at 11:15 a.m. Two people were in the plane and the passenger, the pilot's wife, was taken to the hospital, according to reports.

Pilot David Marth, who is from Rancho Cordova, said he "didn't have enough runway" to land the plane.

Redding Fire Department was on scene to address fire and medical needs. There were no reports of a fire.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Emergency crews are at Benton Airpark in west Redding on Saturday for a reported plane crash.

The crash was reported at 11:15 a.m.

Two people were reportedly in the plane and at least one is injured.

Story, video and photo gallery:  http://www.redding.com

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