2011 Cessna 172M Crash at Sturgis Municipal Airport (N13584)

Accident Overview and Flight History On November 11, 2011, at approximately 0905 mountain standard time, a 1973 Cessna 172M, registration N13584, operated by Bear Butte Flying Club, sustained substantial damage after impacting terrain near Sturgis Municipal Airport (49B) in South Dakota. The aircraft was piloted by a student pilot during a local flight that had originated from the airport around 0800. The accident occurred during a takeoff from runway 29, a 5,100-foot by 60-foot dry concrete runway. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was on file. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The student pilot’s certified flight instructor reported that during the student’s second solo landing, the aircraft was stopped on the runway with the flaps not raised before the subsequent takeoff. After takeoff, the aircraft was observed to rotate to a 60-degree pitch-up attitude. The engine was reported to sound as if it was developing full power. The aircraft entered a half-turn spin before impacting the terrain vertically. The wreckage came to rest on the grass south of runway 29. FAA inspectors, along with safety representatives from the aircraft and engine manufacturers, conducted an on-scene examination. Flight control continuity was established, except for separations consistent with overload and impact crushing. Control continuity to the engine was also established. The engine exhibited thumb compression in all cylinders when the crankshaft was rotated. The tachometer indicated 6,570.3 hours. The flap jackscrew showed a thread extension of 4.6 inches, indicating the flaps were extended approximately 30 degrees. No preimpact anomalies were detected in the aircraft or engine. ## Personnel and Aircraft Information The pilot held a student pilot certificate and a Third Class Medical Certificate dated September 29, 2011, with a limitation requiring corrective lenses. His logbook showed 9.6 hours of total flight time, including 0.4 hours as pilot-in-command. The aircraft, serial number 17262858, was a high-wing, all-metal, single-engine, four-place monoplane with fixed tricycle landing gear. It was powered by a Lycoming O-320-E2D engine, serial number L-36653-27A, marked as 150 horsepower but converted to 160 horsepower using supplemental type certificates SA2375SW and SE3692SW. The most recent annual inspection was performed on July 15, 2011, at which time the aircraft had 6,546 total hours and the engine had 1,180 hours since major overhaul. ## Meteorological and Medical Information At 0855, recorded weather at Ellsworth Air Force Base near Rapid City, South Dakota, included wind from 240 degrees at five knots, 10 statute miles visibility, clear skies, a temperature of 11 degrees Celsius, a dew point of -10 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 29.76 inches of mercury. An autopsy performed at the Clinical Laboratory of the Black Hills determined the pilot’s cause of death was blunt trauma injuries sustained in the crash. A forensic toxicology report by the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute detected acetaminophen and diphenhydramine in the pilot’s urine, while diphenhydramine was not detected in the blood. Acetaminophen is a common over-the-counter analgesic, and diphenhydramine is a common over-the-counter antihistamine. ## Additional Information The aircraft had been involved in a previous accident, NTSB report number CHI01LA051, which noted inconsistencies between the elevator trim tab and the cockpit trim indicator. Specifically, when the pilot aligned the indicator for a takeoff setting, the actual trim surface was in a full nose-down position. A postaccident review of maintenance records found no history of unresolved airworthiness issues.