Cessna 177 accident near Christiansted, USA
On October 29, 2009, a Cessna 177 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Christiansted, USA. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- October 29, 2009
- Place
- Christiansted, USA
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 17.719°N, 64.791°W
- NTSB ID
- 20091029X54134
Official records · ERA10FA037
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Partial Air Traffic Control Tower Transcript: Transcript (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On October 29, 2009, at 1331 Atlantic standard time, a Cessna 177, N3431T, was destroyed when it impacted a pasture shortly after taking off from Henry E. Rohlsen Airport (TISX), Christiansted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. The certificated airline transport pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the flight to Cyril E. King Airport (TIST), Charlotte, Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. According to a witness, one of the passengers was in the pilot's airport office when the pilot returned from another flight. The pilot came in to the office twice, and the second time, told the passenger to "start the walk-around" inspection of the airplane. After the passenger checked the fuel for water, the pilot returned to check "the controls, aileron, rudder, and elevator." The pilot also confirmed with the passenger that he, the passenger, had checked the fuel for water. The witness subsequently saw another passenger approach the airplane with two bags, one that "was 3 feet by 12 inches, and the other was 18 inches by 10 inches wide. The baggage appeared to be heavy by the way he was carrying it." The first passenger put the large bag in the baggage compartment, behind the rear seat. The second passenger then walked around the airplane and sat in the back seat with the small bag. The first passenger then entered the left front seat and the pilot sat in the right front seat. The
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to ensure proper loading of the airplane.
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Browse: United States · 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.
