Monday, September 11, 2017

Cessna 172P, N54463: Accident occurred September 11, 2017 near Robertson Field Airport (4B8), Plainville, Hartford County, Connecticut

  

Additional Participating Entity: 
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Enfield, Connecticut

Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms

http://registry.faa.gov/N54463



Location: Plainville, CT
Accident Number: GAA17CA530
Date & Time: 09/11/2017, 1125 EDT
Registration: N54463
Aircraft: CESSNA 172
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of control in flight
Injuries: 1 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

Analysis

The pilot reported that, during touchdown, the airplane bounced, and he chose to go around. He applied full power, set the carburetor heat to cold, and began incrementally retracting the flaps. The airplane drifted left of the runway centerline toward a parking lot but was not gaining sufficient altitude. The pilot started looking for a spot to execute a forced landing when the airplane impacted a tree.

Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage.

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. 

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's failure to properly execute the go-around, which resulted in the airplane failing to maintain a climb, which resulted in collision with a tree. 

Findings

Aircraft
Performance/control parameters - Not attained/maintained (Cause)

Personnel issues
Aircraft control - Pilot (Cause)

Environmental issues
Tree(s) - Effect on operation

Factual Information

History of Flight

Approach-VFR go-around
Loss of control in flight (Defining event)
Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)

The pilot reported that during touchdown the airplane bounced, and he chose to go-around. He applied full power, set the carburetor heat to cold, and began incrementally retracting the flaps. The airplane drifted left of the runway centerline, towards a parking lot, but was not gaining altitude. The pilot started looking for a spot to execute a forced landing when the airplane impacted a tree and collided with the ground.

A postaccident exam of the airplane revealed substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage.

The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.



Pilot Information


Certificate: Private
Age: 79, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 3-point
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 3 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 12/17/2015
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 07/19/2016
Flight Time:  670 hours (Total, this make and model) 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information


Aircraft Manufacturer: CESSNA
Registration: N54463
Model/Series: 172 P
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1981
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 17274979
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 4
Date/Type of Last Inspection:  Unknown
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 2299 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time:
Engine Manufacturer: LYCOMING
ELT: Installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: O-320
Registered Owner: INTERSTATE AVIATION INC.
Rated Power: 160 hp
Operator: INTERSTATE AVIATION INC.
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None 



Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KHFD, 19 ft msl
Observation Time: 1453 UTC
Distance from Accident Site: 10 Nautical Miles
Direction from Accident Site: 74°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Temperature/Dew Point: 19°C / 11°C
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility:  10 Miles
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 5 knots, 10°
Visibility (RVR):
Altimeter Setting: 30.28 inches Hg
Visibility (RVV):
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: WESTFIELD/SPRINGFIELD, MA (BAF)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Plainville, CT (4B8)
Type of Clearance: VFR
Departure Time:
Type of Airspace: Class G 



Airport Information

Airport: ROBERTSON FIELD (4B8)
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 201 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 02
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 3665 ft / 75 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Go Around; Traffic Pattern 

Wreckage and Impact Information


Crew Injuries: 1 Minor
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Minor
Latitude, Longitude:  41.688889, -72.867222 (est) Additional Participating Entity: 
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Enfield, Connecticut

Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms

http://registry.faa.gov/N54463

Location: Plainville, CT
Accident Number: GAA17CA530
Date & Time: 09/11/2017, 1125 EDT
Registration: N54463
Aircraft: CESSNA 172
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of control in flight
Injuries: 1 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

The pilot reported that during touchdown the airplane bounced, and he chose to go-around. He applied full power, set the carburetor heat to cold, and began incrementally retracting the flaps. The airplane drifted left of the runway centerline, towards a parking lot, but was not gaining altitude. The pilot started looking for a spot to execute a forced landing when the airplane impacted a tree and collided with the ground.

A postaccident exam of the airplane revealed substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage.

The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Pilot Information


Certificate: Private
Age: 79, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 3-point
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 3 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 12/17/2015
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 07/19/2016
Flight Time:  670 hours (Total, this make and model) 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information


Aircraft Manufacturer: CESSNA
Registration: N54463
Model/Series: 172 P
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1981
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 17274979
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 4
Date/Type of Last Inspection:  Unknown
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 2299 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time:
Engine Manufacturer: LYCOMING
ELT: Installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: O-320
Registered Owner: INTERSTATE AVIATION INC.
Rated Power: 160 hp
Operator: INTERSTATE AVIATION INC.
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None 

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KHFD, 19 ft msl
Observation Time: 1453 UTC
Distance from Accident Site: 10 Nautical Miles
Direction from Accident Site: 74°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Temperature/Dew Point: 19°C / 11°C
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility:  10 Miles
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 5 knots, 10°
Visibility (RVR):
Altimeter Setting: 30.28 inches Hg
Visibility (RVV):
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: WESTFIELD/SPRINGFIELD, MA (BAF)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Plainville, CT (4B8)
Type of Clearance: VFR
Departure Time:
Type of Airspace: Class G 

Airport Information

Airport: ROBERTSON FIELD (4B8)
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 201 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 02
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 3665 ft / 75 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Go Around; Traffic Pattern 

Wreckage and Impact Information


Crew Injuries: 1 Minor
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Minor
Latitude, Longitude:  41.688889, -72.867222 (est)






 PLAINVILLE — Police released 911 calls made by witnesses after a plane crash Monday morning near Robertson Airport.

Police received two calls at 11:23 a.m. and 11:24 a.m. of reports of a plane crashing into the parking lot of Carling Switch on Johnson Avenue, near the airport.

The first call, made by a man, reports the plane flying into a tree in the parking lot. The second caller, a man at Carling Switch, told the dispatcher he was speaking to the pilot.

“I’m talking to the guy right now, everything seems to be OK right now,” he said.

Plainville police reported Manfred Forst, the pilot, was taken to the Hospital of Central Connecticut with minor injuries.

The crash is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration with further investigation possible by the National Transportation Safety Board.

In an accident notification released by the FAA Tuesday, the 1981 Cessna 172 was reported to have gone off the runway during a touch-and-go and crashed into a parking lot behind the airport.

The FAA reported no injuries and substantial crash damage. The agency classified the crash as an accident.

A NTSB representative said Tuesday they would determine whether to investigate within the next few days.

The crash was the ninth in the state involving a small plane in the past year, with six resulting in death. The number of fatal airplane crashes in the state this year has prompted U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal to ask the FAA to investigate pilot training, maintenance and other measures.

“They have the power,” Blumenthal previously said about the FAA. “We’re demanding action under existing authority, and responsibility to set higher standards and improve enforcement.”

A flight instructor was killed and two other people were injured this month when a single-engine Cessna crashed at an airport in New Milford. On July 30, Mark Stern, 63, of Redding, died after a crash at Danbury Municipal Airport. The plane was also a Cessna 172.

On April 24, Joseph Tomanelli, a Cheshire physician, was killed in a crash near Meriden-Markham Airport. His son, 21-year-old Daniel Tomanelli, was seriously injured.

Student pilot Pablo Campos Isona, 31, was killed in a plane crash in East Haven on Feb. 22.

Authorities say one person suffered serious injuries in an ultralight aircraft crash in Eastford in July, in August, a single-engine plane crashed in Salisbury, resulting in one person having minor injuries.

All the crashes are under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA. 


Story and video ➤ http://www.myrecordjournal.com

PLAINVILLE – A plane crashed into a parking lot near Robertson Airport Monday morning. 

The crash was reported at about 11:30 a.m. According to emergency responders, one person was in the single engine aircraft and he was not hurt. He has not been identified.


The aircraft belongs to Interstate Aviation, Inc. - an airplane rental and instructional business at the airport. A representative at the business confirmed that the plane belongs to them and that the pilot was renting it. They did not wish to comment further. 


In addition to police, firefighters also responded to the scene, as a small fuel leak was caused by the impact.


Town Manager Robert E. Lee said the pilot was 80 years old and declined medical treatment at the scene. He later went to the hospital to be evaluated.


“He was very fortunate to walk away from the crash,” Lee said.


Dave Thayer, a Bristol resident, was an eyewitness to the crash. He often parks nearby Robertson to watch planes as they land. On Monday, he said he was sipping his coffee as he saw the small plane approaching.


“He was very low,” Thayer said, adding that the plane came close to some utility wires after turning away from the direction of the airport.


Just as the plane craft looked like it was going to land, according to Thayer, it made a sharp “90 degree” turn, hit a tree and spun around before it settled in the Carling Technologies Inc. parking lot, which is adjacent to the airport.


“He looked like he was going to land and all of a sudden made a really sharp turn,” Thayer said. “Luckily the guy is OK.”


The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the crash. 


Story and video ➤ http://www.newbritainherald.com





PLAINVILLVE, CT (WFSB) -  No injuries were reported after a small plane crashed in Plainville on Monday morning.

Officials with the Federal Aviation Administration said a fixed wing single engine Cessna "veered off of Runway 2 at the Robertson Field Airport" around 11:30 a.m. The plane veered into the Carling Technologies parking lot.  


"I was sitting down at the end of the parking lot here, looked up because I heard the plane. Saw it going directly across probably 200 yards from where I was sitting, knew it was going the wrong way obviously," said David Thayer, of Southington. He watched the plane crash right in front of his eyes.


On Monday afternoon, police identified the pilot as Manfred Frost, who was taken to the hospital with what appeared to be minor injuries.


Crews were looking into a small fuel leak after the plane went down.


Cessna belongs to Interstate Aviation Inc., which is based out of Robertson Airport.


The incident is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration. 


This is the state's eighth small plane crash this year. A total of six people have died as a result of those crashes.


Story and video ➤ http://www.wfsb.com






PLAINVILLE, Conn. (WTNH) — Emergency crews responded to a plane crash in Plainville Monday morning.


Plainville Town Manager, Robert Lee, tells News 8 that the pilot tried to land the small plane at Robertson Airport when the crash occurred.


The plane had touched down on the runway but the pilot did not like the landing so it took off again. 


The pilot then made a right turn, clipping a tree before crashing into the rear parking lot of Carling Technologies, which is adjacent to the airport.


Lee said the pilot walked away without injuries.


There was a fuel leak from the plane so the fire department responded to the scene.


The incident remains under investigation.


Plainville Police have released a video capturing the crash.


Story and video ➤ http://wtnh.com



A surveillance camera captured footage of a small plane crashing into a tree near a Connecticut business Monday morning.

The video shows a 1981 Cessna 172 flying low to the ground before hitting the tree and landing upright in a Plainville parking lot around 11:25 a.m., according to authorities.

Police said the pilot, later identified as Manfred Forst, was taken to The Hospital of Central Connecticut and treated for “what appeared to be minor injuries.” No one else was hurt.

The Plainville Town Manager told WTNH News that the pilot “ran into trouble and wound up crashing” at Carling Technologies, a manufacturer on Johnson Avenue located near Robertson Field Airport.

Authorities said the Federal Aviation Administration responded to the scene and is investigating the crash.

Story and video ➤  http://turnto10.com

A small plane crashed late Monday morning at Robertson Airport, but authorities reported only very minor injuries.

The police identified the pilot as Manfred Forst and said he was flying alone. He is 80 years old, town manager Robert Lee said Monday afternoon.

The blue-and-white single-engine Cessna was very close to landing when it veered to one side and wobbled, according to a witness. The plane ended up in a parking lot several hundred feet west of the runway; it was right side up, but the right wing appeared to be snapped.

A video released by the town Monday afternoon shows the plane flying low, hitting a tree and then landing in the parking lot.

The accident happened at about 11:30 a.m.

Police taped off part of the parking lot of Carling Technologies, where the damaged plane was alongside a large tree. An investigator from the Federal Aviation Administration was expected later in the afternoon, police said, but an FAA spokesman could not be reached.

Interstate Aviation, which runs day-to-day operations at the town-owned airport, would not discuss what happened.

Pilots in the terminal were talking about what can go wrong in a failed go-around — essentially an aborted landing — but an Interstate Aviation staffer said nobody would comment about the crash.

Interstate Aviation was renting the plane to Forst at the time, police said,

Dave Thayer, of Bristol, who frequently visits Robertson to watch landings and takeoffs, was near the northern end of the airport’s parking lot when he saw a plane landing from the south. Thayer said it was very low and approaching from the south, but suddenly turned west — away from the runway.

“I knew he had a problem. It was wavering, it was going very slow,” Thayer said. “I heard the bang and knew that he went down.”

Story and video ➤  http://www.courant.com

6 comments:


  1. Well, if the crash was inevitable then my compliments. It was spectacular to hit the tree and twist, which absorbed much of the forward energy of flight and then dropping down to the ground. I am sure it was not pleasant to be in the seat.

    On the other hand, the airplane could have collided with a hard trunk at the base of a tree or stalled and rolled over inverted with nose into the pavement which would have most certainly been fatal.

    We are glad he was able to walk away.



    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm thinking that maybe he forgot to shut the carb heat off on the touch & go which would cause the engine to not produce max power for climbout possibly putting the plane into the trees. Glad he was able to walk away but very lucky that tree spun him around and landed on the wheels instead of nose first.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Been there, done that. Pilot did not maintain proper speed and angle of attack control. Looks like he's got 30• of flaps in, which was a problem for take off but did allow for his slow stall speed when he hit the tree. He was in landing configuration with most of the long (3,700 ft) runway in front of him. Looks like he pulled it off with slow air speed and stalled it into the tree. Lucky for him that he hit just right. Embarrassing. Should team up with a CFI and get some basic instruction refresher. FAA has great resources on this, setting up a stable approach, executing a go-a-round, etc. Politicians hostile to GA need not apply.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Proof that it's better to be lucky than good. Glad he was ok.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Am I the only one who sees many of the accidents here reported have pilots getting too old to fly?
    There are many older guys out there who are still agile and capable to fly or drive a car safely, but many more loose it to age. Eye sight, reaction, eye-hand coordination, hearing, to name a few.
    Some need so much medication, just to stay alive, they're like a walking drugstore.

    For some it would be better to trade the keys of this kind of equipment for a visit to Disney World with their grandchildren. Much more fun and no risk.
    Luckily he survived, but he was extremely lucky, others aren't plus take a whole load of family with them.

    It takes balls to stop your lifelong passion, I know. But at 66 and a lifelong flying career in aviation plus GA flying for a hobby, I am contemplating it more and more and will make the decision before others will do for me, or worse, You will be reading my last flight in this site.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Agreed, planes and cars. Flying and driving are privileges, not rights. My grandfather almost had a head-on collision when he was 80 which we were waiting for as he has difficulty staying in his lane, but at least he gave up his pilots license but not before two scares.

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