Saturday, February 08, 2020

Landing Area Overshoot: Cessna 172A, N7243T; accident occurred July 27, 2017 near Enumclaw Airport (WA77), King County, Washington

Airplane wreckage.

Airplane wreckage.

Barbed wire and fence post wrapped around the engine.

Barbed wire wrapped around the landing gear strut.

Barbed wire wrapped around the elevator.

Barbed wire underneath a nearby tree.

Fence post along the path.

Fence post along the path.

Pieces of fence dangling from the tree.

Missing portion of the fence.

Missing portion of the fence.

Paint transfer from the airplane onto the fence.

Airworthiness certificate.

Last engine examination.


The left and right muffler remained attached. The tailpipes received impact damage.

The induction system remained intact except the carburetor mounting flange. See Carburetor. The induction filter was contaminated with dirt and grass.

The left magneto exhibited no damage.

The right magneto exhibited no damage

The ignition harness exhibited impact damage at sparkplug connections on cylinders one, three and five.


The sparkplugs appeared to be new and were intact with the exception of the top sparkplug removed from cylinder # 2. When compared to a Champion “Check-APlug” chart, the conditions were normal. All four sparkplugs exhibited a slightly darker than normal color and exhibited an odor consistent with auto fuel.

This fuel primer is located with other engine controls in the lower center of the cabin instrument panel. The primer was found in an unlocked position. See red arrow.

The carburetor was undamaged with the exception of the mounting flange which partially separated. The throttle plate was in the wide-open position as was the cabin control. Throttle and mixture arms and cables remained secured. Control cable continuity was confirmed from the instrument panel to the carburetor. The carburetor exhibited an odor consistent with auto fuel.

The aftermarket spin-on-oil filter and oil filter adapter received impact damage. A red silicone type gasket separated from the oil filter adapter mount.

All cylinders remained attached to its respective base and no impact damage was noted. A lighted electronic borescope inspection was performed. All intake and exhaust valves were examined and found intact. Normal to dark combustion signatures were noted on valve faces and piston domes. Rocker covers were removed to observe rocker arm movement.

All rocker arms and shafts were intact and movement was noted when the engine was partially rotated (manually).

The crankshaft separated at the propeller flange. The break exhibited 45 degree sheer lips and ladder cracks around the diameter of the shaft.

Camshaft continuity was confirmed by rotating (partial rotation only) the engine manually and noting the valve train rocker arms in motion.

Starter: No damage was noted.

The vacuum pump remained intact and attached. The data plate was worn and the model number obscured. The input and output fittings separated.


Wreckage Location.


The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.


Additional Participating Entities:

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Renton, Washington
Continental Motors; Mobile, Alabama
Textron Aviation; Wichita, Kansas 

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/N7243T


Location: Enumclaw, WA
Accident Number: WPR17LA169
Date & Time: 07/27/2017, 2030 PDT
Registration: N7243T
Aircraft: CESSNA 172A
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Landing area overshoot
Injuries: 2 Serious, 1 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal

On July 27, 2017, about 2030 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172A airplane, N7243T, collided with an airport perimeter fence during takeoff, and subsequently impacted terrain near Enumclaw Airport (WA77), Enumclaw, Washington. The private pilot and the student pilot sustained serious injuries; another passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to the student pilot and operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the local flight.

In the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report (form 6120.1), the student pilot reported that he had no knowledge of the flight, and that he could not recall any details surrounding the accident. He also reported that the operator of the airplane at the time of the accident was the private pilot. After several attempts, the NTSB investigator-in-charge was unable to establish contact with the private pilot, who did not possess a current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airman medical certificate; his most recent medical certificate expired in 1992. The student pilot stated that he was under the impression that the private pilot was current.

A witness located at the airport reported that the airplane was doing touch-and-go landings. During the last landing, the airplane touched down near the departure end of the runway, attempted to stop, skidding the left main tire, and with approximately 40 yards remaining, added power for the takeoff attempt. The airplane travelled off the end of the runway, through the grass before it collided with the airport perimeter fence.

Pilot Information

Certificate: Private
Age: 62, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Unknown
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used:
Instrument Rating(s):None 
Second Pilot Present:
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: None None
Last FAA Medical Exam: 07/30/1990
Occupational Pilot:No 
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time:

Student Pilot Information

Certificate: Student
Age: 57, Male
Airplane Rating(s): None
Seat Occupied: Unknown
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used:
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present:
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed:No 
Medical Certification: Class 3 Without Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 02/28/2017
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time:

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Registration: N7243T
Model/Series: 172A UNDESIGNATED
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1959
Amateur Built:No 
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 46843
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 4
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 06/18/2017, Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 2299 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 3 Hours
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time:
Engine Manufacturer: CONT MOTOR
ELT: Installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: O-300 SER
Registered Owner: Lorne Robbins
Rated Power: 145 hp
Operator:On file 
Operating Certificate(s) Held:None  

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Night
Observation Facility, Elevation: KPLU, 538 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site:
Observation Time: 0335 UTC
Direction from Accident Site:
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Visibility:  10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: Calm /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual:
Wind Direction:
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual:
Altimeter Setting: 30.1 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 18°C / 14°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Enumclaw, WA (WA77)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Enumclaw, WA (WA77)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: PDT 
Type of Airspace:

Airport Information

Airport: Enumclaw (WA77)
Runway Surface Type: Dirt; Gravel
Airport Elevation: 738 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Dry; Vegetation
Runway Used: 07
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 1800 ft / 25 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: None

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 2 Serious
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 Minor
Aircraft Fire: On-Ground
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 Serious, 1 Minor
Latitude, Longitude: 47.196389, -122.014722 (est) 

The airplane came to rest in a nose-down position and was oriented in a westerly direction about 400 ft east of the departure end of runway 07. The airplane's landing gear tracks were observed throughout the grass at the end of the runway. The left main landing gear tire left a long skid mark visible on the runway; main and nose landing wheel tracks were visible in the grass until about 20 ft from the fence.

The propeller was separated and located 23 ft southwest of the airplane. One blade was imbedded in the ground, while the other blade was observed relatively undamaged. The nose gear was broken and pushed up and to the right, the engine was pushed back into the firewall, and the aft fuselage was wrinkled and showed compression damage on the right side. The flaps were found extended at 40°. The mixture and throttle controls were set at full rich and maximum power. The Hobbs meter displayed 1,041.7 hours, with a tach time of 772.51 hours. The airplane had two strands of barbed wire wrapped around it, which extended from its nose to tail and back to its nose. The barbed wire passed between the inboard end of the right elevator control surface and the tail cone.

Leaves and tree debris were spread on the path between the runway and the wreckage; the top rail of the fence was located on the path and was bent. The barbed wire chain link fence on the east end of the runway was depressed at the same spacing as the left, right, and nose wheel lateral spacing on the airplane which indicated that the landing gear contacted the top of the fence and took the barbed wire along as the airplane passed over the fence. About 258 ft of the top rail was missing from the fence.

Examination of the recovered airframe and engine did not reveal any evidence of a preexisting mechanical malfunction that would have precluded normal operation. The complete engine and airframe examination reports are appended to this accident in the public docket.

Additional Information


In the conversation with the student pilot's flight instructor, he indicated that, during the instructional flights, him and the student pilot did not practice landings, and that the student pilot had never executed any landings on his own.










4 comments:

  1. Must have been a helluva flight ...
    "I talked to his former flight instructor (I said former cause the guy said he will never ever teach him again) a lot, not sure if I told you that they never did a landing. His takeoffs were not so great, would pull the nose too high and get slow so they haven't even started practicing landings."

    ReplyDelete
  2. "In the conversation with the student pilot's flight instructor, he indicated that, during the instructional flights, him and the student pilot did not practice landings, and that the student pilot had never executed any landings on his own."

    Well apparently the alleged "instructor" didn't know that you can't do a TOGA with full 40 degree flaps either. Both idiots and it's only a miracle that no children were around and killed at that playground they wound up next to. Two morons who missed their Darwin award.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Before the internet I had no idea this sort of thing was so common - not current and illegal ... smh.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Going on right now, as we read this sad stuff..READ and HEED!...Thank God no one killed!

    ReplyDelete