History of Flight
On June 19, 2015, about 1715 central daylight time, a Cessna 172 airplane, N5743A, impacted terrain during takeoff following a touch and go on runway 23 at the Shreveport Downtown Airport (DTN), near Shreveport, Louisiana. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The airplane sustained substantial wing and fuselage damage. The airplane was registered to and operated by Bag Flying Club Inc. under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day visual flight rules conditions prevailed, and the flight did not operate on a flight plan. The local flight originated from DTN at an unknown time.
The airplane had been observed performing touch and go landings at DTN. An air traffic controller cleared the airplane to perform a touch and go landing on runway 23. During the accident takeoff, the airplane was observed in a nose high attitude. The National Transportation Safety Board investigator listened to tower communications; the pilot made an abbreviated radio call indicating he was returning. The controller subsequently saw the airplane roll to the left, nosed over, and impact the ground left wing first. The airplane cartwheeled on its nose and came to rest pointing back toward the departure runway. The controller made emergency response notifications, and first responders went to the accident site. A liquid consistent with aviation gasoline was found leaking from the left wing, which had partially separated from its fuselage. First responders stopped the fuel tank's leak.
Personnel Information
The 65-year-old pilot held a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) commercial pilot certificate with airplane single-engine and multi-engine land, instrument airplane, and lighter-than-air free balloon ratings. He also held a flight instructor certificate for single-engine airplanes. The pilot held a second-class medical certificate dated July 19, 2013, with a limitation to have glasses available for near vision. On the application, he indicated he had accumulated 2,100 hours of total flight time and 5 hours in the last six months before the exam. The certificate showed he was 74 inches tall. His logbook showed 1,924.8 hours of total flight time and an endorsement, dated March 3, 2015, indicating he had acquired ground training for a flight review.
Aircraft Information
N5743A was a 1956 model Cessna 172, serial number 28343. It was a high-wing, all-metal, single-engine, four-place monoplane with fixed tricycle landing gear. It was powered by a naturally aspirated, six-cylinder Continental Motors O-300-B engine, serial number 10976-D-5-B, producing 145 horsepower at 2,700 rpm. The engine drove a fixed-pitch McCauley propeller, model 1A170/DM7651, serial number 56289. The last annual inspection was completed on May 1, 2014, at a tachometer time of 1,501:14. The airplane's total time could not be determined from logbook entries. According to fueling records, the airplane was fueled with 27.1 gallons of aviation gasoline on December 31, 2014.
Meteorological Information
At 1853, the recorded weather at DTN was: wind 240 at 11 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition clear; temperature 32°C; dew point 22°C; altimeter 29.94 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest upright on an approximate 270-degree heading, about 840 feet and 214 degrees from the intersection of runway 5/23 and 14/32, near taxiways Mike and Quebec. A ground scar started about 65 feet from and 330 degrees from the wreckage. Red glass-like media was found abeam the scar about 58 feet from the wreckage. Linear depressions nearly perpendicular to the scar were found about 39 and 38 feet from the wreckage, with transfer of media consistent with the black and white paint on the propeller blades. An oval depression was observed along the scar between 37 and 35 feet from the wreckage.
The fuselage was resting with its nose on the ground and its tail elevated. Both wing inboard leading edges were not damaged. The left wing tip leading edge had dirt-colored media adhering. The rear fuselage, aft of the baggage compartment, was torn on its upper surface, and the empennage was buckled downward but not damaged. The left aileron was buckled about mid-span; the left flap was buckled around the inboard hinge. The inboard end of the left flap had a witness mark consistent with contact of the left flap contour formed on the fuselage. The outboard end of the left flap and inboard end of the left aileron had witness marks consistent with contact. The left wing remained attached at its forward spar and had separated at its rear spar. The left fuel tank vent hose was partially separated, and the left fuel tank fuel line was separated.
The left aileron bell crank was partially separated from its wing mount. The remaining flight controls were intact. The control column in pitch and roll and the rudder pedals could not be moved due to airframe structure impinging. Control cables were traced from cockpit controls to each flight control surface, and continuity was established. The elevator trim wheel moved, and its cables were intact to the trim actuator. The actuator's extension corresponded to zero degrees of trim, and the trailing edge of the trim tab was aligned with the elevator's trailing edge. The flap actuator bar was moved by hand, and both flaps moved.
The left and right wing tanks were defueled, totaling about 10 gallons. The fuel tank selector valve handle was found out-of-detent between the right tank and OFF positions. The fuel line to the engine was detached, and a jumper hose was attached. Low-pressure air was applied, and air was heard from the right fuel tank filler neck. As the selector valve was rotated through its four detent positions, air was heard in expected locations. The line was attached to the engine feed line, and air was heard at the fuel line detached from the carburetor. Air applied to the fuel tank vent was heard at both filler necks. The right fuel tank cap's flapper valve was intact.
First responders had removed the pilot's seat back. The seat rails were buckled. The seat was pinned in the rail's fifth aft hole, consistent with selection per the pilot's height. The fifth hole was cracked perpendicular across the hole. The seat pin required pliers to retract.
The engine tachometer indicated 1,529:01 hours. The propeller had one blade bowed forward and one aft; the aft blade had chord-wise abrasions on its back. The engine rotated when the propeller flange was turned by hand, and impulse couplings were heard. The carburetor separated from the engine at its mounting base. The carburetor accelerator pump ejected fluid consistent with aviation gasoline when depressed.
The emergency locator transmitter was found in the "on" position and was turned off during wreckage examination.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Parish of Caddo Coroner arranged an autopsy through the Louisiana State University Health Science Center. The cause of death was listed as blunt force injuries. The FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute prepared a Final Forensic Toxicology Accident Report; results were negative for the tests performed.
Survival Aspects
The airplane was equipped with lap belts only; no shoulder harnesses were installed. First responders found the pilot's upper torso, arms, and head resting on the eyebrow molding over the instrument panel. The pilot sustained injuries consistent with unrestrained forward impact with the control yoke.
Tests and Research
The accident engine was shipped to Continental Motors. The sparkplug wires were damaged, and the carburetor had a separated mounting flange. The sparkplug wires were removed, and exemplar wires were installed. The carburetor's flange was repaired with adhesive. The engine was fitted with an exemplar carburetor and a test club propeller, then mounted on a test stand. The engine was operational during the test run. The repaired carburetor was then installed, and the engine operated normally, producing rated rpm and accelerating to full rpm during throttle accelerations. No pre-impact abnormalities were noted during the examination and test run.