Accident Summary
On July 9, 2010, about 0920 central daylight time, a Cessna 172S single-engine land airplane, registration N919YA, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during takeoff from a private rural airport near Goddard, Kansas. The pilot, the sole occupant, sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The airplane was departing for Colonel James Jabara Airport (AAO) in Wichita, Kansas.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that the 2,200-foot-long grass strip had 35-foot power lines at the departure end. The grass was wet, and the first third of the runway sloped uphill. The airplane became airborne further down the runway than expected. Concerned about clearing the power lines, the pilot initially attempted to fly under them; however, when he saw a road grader driving across his flight path, he pitched up, added an additional 10 degrees of flaps, and attempted to fly over the lines. After clearing the power lines, the pilot felt the airplane vibrating and noticed the airspeed indicator read zero. The airplane entered an aerodynamic stall, descended, and collided with the ground in a nose-low attitude, coming to rest inverted.
The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented had he considered the negative performance effects of the tailwind, the dew on the grass, and the slight uphill slope of the runway. He also reported that his pitch attitude was too high and that he may have forgotten to reset the engine mixture control to full rich. The pilot thought the wind was calm.
Weather Conditions
The 0853 surface weather observation at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport (ICT), located 8 miles northeast of the accident site, reported wind from 010 degrees at 8 knots, visibility 10 miles, few clouds at 15,000 feet, temperature 23 degrees Celsius, dew point 18 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 30.17 inches of mercury.
Aircraft Performance Information
According to the performance section of the Cessna Information Manual, a short field takeoff would have required about 2,181 feet of runway to clear a 50-foot obstacle for an 8-knot downwind takeoff on a dry grass runway.
Aircraft Examination
An examination of the airplane revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.