Cessna 172 accident near South Hero, VT
On October 18, 2001, a Cessna 172 (airplane) was involved in an accident near South Hero, VT. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- October 18, 2001
- Place
- South Hero, VT
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 44.620°N, 73.306°W
- NTSB ID
- 20011023X02131
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On October 18, 2001, about 1625 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172, N8255B, was destroyed when it impacted terrain after takeoff from Allenholm Airport (VT26), South Hero, Vermont. The certificated private pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. A third passenger was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the local flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The airplane was based at VT26, and operated by a local flying club. During an interview with a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the surviving passenger who was seated in the right rear seat, indicated that the pilot performed a pre-flight inspection; however, he did not observe the pilot take a fuel sample. The pilot then started the engine, performed an engine run-up, and back-taxied to the beginning of runway 18, a 2,000-foot long, 40-foot wide, turf runway. During the takeoff, the airplane lifted off the ground about halfway down the runway, settled back onto the runway, and lifted off again near the end of the runway. The airplane began to climb and everything seemed normal until the airplane climbed above the tree line and encountered a "sudden wind" gust. At that point, the airplane began to sink, the right wing lifted and the nose dropped. The airplane struck the ground nose first and a post crash fire ensued. The passenger further stated that he remembered hearing the engine during the accident and it sounded normal. He did not hear any interruption in engine power or the sound of a horn or buzzer prior to the acci
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the takeoff. Factors in this accident were wind gusts and the airplane's high gross weight condition.
More accidents in VT
- Piper PA28R, Sep 8, 2024
- Schweizer SGS 2 32, Aug 29, 2018
- Air Trikes Tourist, Sep 20, 2006
- Smith Aerostar 601P, Jan 25, 2002
- Piper PA22, Aug 25, 2018
Browse: Vermont · Cessna aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
