Aerobatic Maneuvers in Overweight Cessna 172 Lead to Terrain Impact (N8423E)

Maneuvers and Accident Sequence

The pilot conducted aerobatic maneuvers in a Cessna 172 carrying three passengers and a heavy fuel load. The maneuvers included buzzing boats on a lake at very low altitude, at least one complete aileron roll, several very abrupt pull-ups, several very abrupt level-offs at very low altitude, and several hammerhead-type turns. The final maneuver began with a steep pull-up and climb, followed by a hammerhead turn and a delayed pullout at the bottom, which resulted in impact with the terrain.

Aircraft Weight and Balance

The aircraft was operating in the utility category of airworthiness at the time of the accident. For this category, the aircraft was 323 pounds over its maximum allowable gross weight and 3.1 inches beyond its allowable aft center of gravity limit.