Accident Overview
On April 7, 2013, at approximately 1445 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172M, registration N92804, operated by Mayberry Aviation Inc., collided with terrain during takeoff from New Castle International Airport (VA85), New Castle, Virginia. The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight, with a visual flight rules flight plan filed to Mount Airy/Surry County Airport in Mount Airy, North Carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The private pilot and two passengers were not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage.
Pilot's Account
The pilot reported that the engine start and run-up were satisfactory. He taxied to runway 18 for departure, noting a south wind at 15 knots. Using all available runway, he initiated takeoff from the upslope runway with 5 degrees of flaps extended and soft field takeoff procedures. He observed that the airplane was "slow to produce speed but finally broke ground where I attempted to fly in ground effect to produce more speed." Shortly after, he saw the windsock at the end of the field and recognized he lacked sufficient speed or altitude to clear trees beyond the runway. He turned left toward a clearing to land. Crossing a pond, he lost ground effect, lowered more flaps, and pushed the control column to gain speed. As the flight reached the opposite side of the pond, the airplane stalled, causing the left wing tip to contact the ground. The airplane cartwheeled, came to rest, and all occupants exited safely. The pilot later recommended recognizing sluggish speed sooner and aborting the takeoff.
Engine Examination
Following recovery, FAA airworthiness personnel inspected the engine. Crankshaft, camshaft, and valve train continuity were observed, with slight binding during crankshaft rotation. Throttle, mixture, and carburetor heat controls operated normally. No discrepancies were found in the air induction or exhaust systems that would cause a loss of engine power. Cold differential compression testing of cylinders 1 through 4 yielded readings of 30, 0, 50, and 45 psi, respectively. Leakage was noted from the intake valve and crankcase for cylinder 1, and a "big leak" past the intake valve for cylinder 2, despite multiple stakes. Spark plugs from cylinder 2 were retained; the lower plug showed light brown to beige deposits, and the upper plug had a chipped insulator near the center electrode. Both magnetos were installed securely and timed between 18 and 20 degrees before top dead center (BTDC), though the engine data plate specified 25 degrees BTDC. The engine manufacturer could not estimate power loss from the timing discrepancy or magneto drop-off due to installation variables.
Spark Plug Analysis
The NTSB Materials Laboratory examined the cylinder 2 spark plugs. Debris showed carbon, lead, aluminum, and oxygen, consistent with combustion ash and ceramic material from spark plugs (aluminum oxide). Ceramic insulators exhibited spalling along the top edges, indicating high-temperature exposure over time.
Cylinder and Maintenance Records
An airframe and powerplant mechanic removed cylinder 2 for analysis and found no issues with the cylinder, piston, or rings; ring gaps were not aligned. The previous pilot, who flew the airplane the day before, reported no issues during a 35-minute flight. Maintenance records showed a 100-hour inspection on January 4, 2013, at tachometer time 3,066.8 hours; the accident flight occurred at 3,163.3 hours, an elapsed time of 96.5 hours.
Airport and Performance Considerations
VA85 is a private airport with a single grass runway (18/36), 2,400 feet long by 100 feet wide. The airplane's Owner's Manual indicated that 10 degrees of flaps (not 5) could shorten ground run by 10%, but this advantage is lost when climbing to 50 feet. Takeoff performance charts for a dry grass runway with a 7% adjustment for total distance to clear a 50-foot obstacle, based on the accident weight of 2,104 pounds and 15-knot headwind, yielded a ground run of 492 feet and total distance of 914 feet. No adjustment was available for the upsloping runway.