History of Flight
On August 25, 2014, at 2158 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172R airplane, N4207P, collided with terrain in Willoughby Hills, Ohio, following a loss of control shortly after takeoff from the Cuyahoga County Airport (CGF). The private pilot and three passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed by impact and a post-impact fire. The airplane was registered to a private individual and operated by T&G Flying Club, Inc. The pilot rented the airplane for a personal flight under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed; no flight plan was filed.
At 2022, the pilot reserved the airplane via an online system for 4 hours beginning at 2030. Employees had left for the evening by the time the pilot and passengers arrived. Two witnesses reported seeing four males walk across the ramp toward the tie-down area near hangar 7 shortly after 2100; one carried a roller-type flight bag. The pilot and passengers then boarded the airplane. A security camera captured the group at 2107.
At 2146, the pilot called ground control for taxi clearance from the ramp south of T&G Flight Club. The controller cleared the airplane to taxi to runway 6 via Alpha 7 and Alpha taxiways, and provided wind (140° at 8 knots) and altimeter setting. The pilot initially taxied toward the wrong runway but corrected after the controller's instruction. At 2156, the pilot requested takeoff on runway 6, stating they would fly east to sightsee. The controller cleared takeoff with a right turn. At 2158, the pilot radioed they were not climbing fast and wanted to make an immediate left turn. The controller approved. The controller observed the airplane begin a left turn and then descend to the ground. The airplane became airborne about 100 feet past taxiway Alpha 6, approximately 2,000 feet down the runway.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating issued on August 8, 2013, and a third-class medical certificate issued on November 10, 2011, with no limitations. His logbook was not located. A membership application from October 1, 2013, reported 104.3 hours in Cessna fixed-gear models. Reconstruction of flight times indicated about 12 hours since his flight test, for a total of approximately 116.3 hours, mostly in Cessna 172 airplanes.
Aircraft Information
The accident airplane was a Cessna 172R, serial number 17280798, a four-place, high-wing, single-engine airplane with fixed landing gear. It was purchased by T&G Flying Club on November 29, 2005. The last annual inspection was completed on August 1, 2014, at 5,957.6 hours total airframe time. The last logbook entry (August 19, 2014) noted replacement of the vacuum pump at 5,969 hours. Rental records indicated 18.8 hours flown since the annual inspection, for an estimated total time of 5,976.4 hours at the start of the accident flight.
The engine was a 180-horsepower Lycoming IO-360-L2A, serial number L-25996-51A, last annual inspection on August 1, 2014, with 3,679.4 hours total and 2,061.7 hours since factory overhaul. The propeller was a McCauley model 1C235/LFA7570, serial number TG025, last inspected August 1, 2014.
Total usable fuel capacity was 53 gallons. The airplane was last fueled on August 21, 2014, with 25.1 gallons of 100LL, filling the tanks. It was flown 1.9 hours between fueling and the accident. At an average burn of 9 gallons per hour, about 36 gallons would have been onboard at takeoff. First responders recovered approximately 18 gallons from the tanks.
Meteorological Information
Weather at CGF at 2200: wind 140° at 10 knots, visibility 10 miles, scattered clouds at 3,500 feet, broken ceiling at 20,000 feet, temperature 24°C, dew point 20°C, altimeter 30.09 inHg. Three computerized weather briefings were requested from N4207P on the day of the accident, all for flights from CGF to Kelleys Island Land Field Airport (89D). The first two briefings were at 1609 with a proposed departure of 2030; the third at 2024 with a proposed departure of 2100.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted the ground, a chain link fence, a guy wire, and a telephone pole before coming to rest about 1,000 feet from the departure end of runway 6 on a bearing of 20°, north of Bishop Road and Curtiss Wright Parkway. The wreckage path was along a 210° heading. The left wing tip was embedded at the first impact mark. The airplane traveled through the fence, with the left wing contacting a fence post. The main impact ground scar was west of the fence. The airplane came to rest on a heading of about 160° with the left wing against a telephone pole. A postimpact fire ensued.
The left wing tip was the first part to impact. The wing tip light assembly was embedded. Paint and rust transfers on the left wing aileron indicated contact with a metal fence post. The inboard 6 feet of the aileron were accordioned. A 3-foot outboard section of the flap remained attached; the inboard section was burned. The wing was separated from the fuselage. The right wing was bent upward about 30° near the strut attach point and separated. The flap actuator showed flaps in the retracted position. The empennage remained intact; the elevator trim measured 9 to 10° nose-up. The cabin and instrument panel were destroyed by fire. The fuel selector was on "Both" and the fuel shutoff valve was open. Flight control continuity was established.
The engine was with the main wreckage; mounts separated due to thermal damage. The propeller remained attached. Thumb compression and continuity were confirmed. The left magneto could not be turned; internal components were melted. The right magneto turned but no spark; its internals were also melted. Both vacuum pumps had melted frangible couplings; vanes and rotors were intact. Fuel nozzles: No. 1 unobstructed, No. 2 dropped in oil, No. 3 separated but unobstructed, No. 4 was 80% obstructed with insert unobstructed. The fuel flow divider diaphragm was intact. The engine-driven fuel pump plunger was intact. The throttle moved; mixture control arm was separated. Ignition leads had thermal damage; spark plugs showed normal wear. The propeller blades were straight with chordwise scratches and leading-edge polishing; one blade had a ¾- to 1-inch deep gouge near the tip. No anomalies were identified that would have precluded normal operation.
Additional Information
Two weight and balance calculations were performed. Using occupant weights from the medical examiner (pilot 130 lb, right front 200 lb, left rear 172 lb, right rear 166 lb), 10 lb of baggage, and 35 gallons of fuel, the takeoff weight was 2,550.6 lb with a moment of 112,957 lb-in. A second calculation increased body weights by 10% to account for thermal injury weight loss and baggage to 15 lb, resulting in a gross weight of 2,622.6 lb (165.6 lb over the maximum gross weight of 2,457 lb) and a moment of 117,127 lb-in (exceeding the maximum aft moment of 116,000 lb-in). Witnesses reported that the pilot asked two passengers their weights; one said 200 lb. The pilot performed mental calculations and indicated they would be below the weight limit.
Two iPhones were found in the wreckage; one was examined. Text messages starting at 20:33 discussed a destination of Kelleys Island, a half-hour flight each way, and possible use of Snapchat. At 21:49, a 10-second video was recorded from the rear right passenger seat while taxiing, showing the right front passenger not touching the controls, the left front pilot with both hands on the yoke, and the flap handle in the up position.
An autopsy attributed the pilot's death to blunt trauma and thermal injuries. Toxicological testing was negative for drugs and alcohol.