Cessna 177RG accident near Chipley, FL

On April 3, 2000, a Cessna 177RG (airplane) was involved in an accident near Chipley, FL. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.

Date

April 3, 2000

Place

Chipley, FL

Aircraft

Cessna 177RG · Airplane

Injuries

1 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Substantial

Position

30.770°N, 85.539°W

NTSB ID

20001212X20872

Official records · MIA00FA126

• Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation

NTSB summary

HISTORY OF FLIGHT On April 2, 2000, about 2020 central daylight time, a Cessna 177RG, N1997Q, registered to a private individual, collided with trees then the ground during takeoff from a private airstrip near Chipley, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the private-rated pilot was fatally injured. A passenger sustained serious injuries. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. According to the pilot's father-in-law who is the owner of the airstrip and is a pilot and airplane mechanic, the airplane was scheduled to land at his airstrip around 1700 hours but did not land until 1830 hours. After landing, his son-in-law immediately started flight planning for a flight to the Peachtree City Airport and called a flight service station. The pilot's father-in-law stated that the pilot was "so adamant about flying out that night." He advised the pilot that lighting at the departure end of the south runway and also a light on a fencepost half-way down the runway would orient him as he would be flying into darkness. The pilot "agreed to this but insisted that he could see the horizon." A flashlight was placed on a fencepost that bordered the west side of the runway about midpoint of the runway and a car was positioned at the departure end of runway 19, facing towards the approach end of the runway with "dim lights". He reported waiting 30 minutes or better for the pilot to perform a preflight run-up an

Probable cause

The failure of the pilot to maintain runway alignment during the initial climb from the grass airstrip. Also, the excessive pull-up by the pilot and inadvertent stall. Findings in the investigation were 1) in-flight collision with the tops of trees and 2) the pilot's operation of the airplane into a grass airstrip contrary to the operator's procedures.

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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.