History of Flight
On September 13, 2015, about 1630 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 177, N2835X, impacted the ground following a go-around maneuver at Smith Mountain Lake Airport (W91), Moneta, Virginia. A postimpact fire ensued. The commercial pilot and passenger were seriously injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the empennage, and the fuselage.
Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local aerial observation flight, which had departed Norfolk International Airport (ORF), Norfolk, Virginia. The airplane was owned by a private individual and operated by DAP Imaging, Inc. for the aerial photographic flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
According to several witnesses, some of whom were pilots, the airplane entered the downwind leg of the traffic pattern for runway 23 and was observed above the expected approach path while on the final leg. One eyewitness reported the engine was "missing and backfiring" prior to impact and was lower than he had normally observed. Two witnesses stated that the airplane was high and fast on the approach; one also noted high groundspeed on the runway. The airplane impacted two trees and then a street. The passenger exited the airplane, followed by the pilot a few seconds later. After the passenger exited, the airplane was engulfed in flames.
According to the passenger, the pilot elected to land at W91 because they were "low on fuel." During the flight, she did not observe the pilot lean the fuel mixture. During the landing, the wind pushed them too far down the runway; about 80 percent of the way down, the pilot attempted a takeoff. During climbout, the engine "was not making a normal sound," the stall horn sounded, and the airplane impacted trees. After coming to rest, fuel was pouring onto them; the pilot told her to get out. She exited, and the airplane was engulfed in fire while the pilot was still inside.
Personnel Information
According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, helicopter, and instrument airplane and helicopter. He held a first-class medical certificate issued on August 1, 2014, with a restriction requiring corrective lenses. Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application (IACRA) paperwork found in the wreckage listed the pilot's name and indicated 246.7 total hours in airplanes and 428.20 total hours in helicopters, but thermal damage prevented determining the date or total flight experience. The pilot's flight logbook, also thermally damaged, contained an entry indicating a flight review on March 30, 2015. According to the operator, the pilot's flight experience was reviewed in August 2015; although no records of that experience were made, the pilot had approximately 779 flight hours, of which about 20 were in the accident airplane make and model.
Aircraft Information
The high-wing, single-engine airplane, a Cessna 177 (serial number 17700235), was manufactured and issued a standard airworthiness certificate on November 16, 1967. It was powered by a Lycoming O-360-E2D, 150-hp engine and driven by a 2-blade McCauley propeller. Maintenance records indicated an annual inspection completed on September 1, 2015, at an airframe total time of 3777.0 hours. At that time, the engine had accumulated 133.0 hours since major overhaul. That inspection was the most recent entry in the maintenance records.
According to the FAA's Type Certificate Data Sheet, the fuel system comprised two fuel tanks, one in each wing, each holding 24.5 gallons of usable fuel and 0.5 gallons of unusable fuel. The fuel tank pickup was located near the rear inboard portion of the fuel tank. The fuel line connected to a 4-position fuel selector valve in the cockpit, with positions "BOTH," "Left," "Right," and "OFF."
The flaps had five positions: "UP" (0°), "1/4" (10°), "1/2" (15°), "3/4" (20°), and "DOWN" (30°).
Meteorological Information
The nearest recorded weather observation, from an airport 22 miles northwest of the accident location, indicated that around the accident time, the wind was from the northwest between 9 and 12 knots, and the temperature was about 19°C.
Airport Information
Smith Mountain Lake Airport (W91) was a privately-owned airport with no operating air traffic control tower at the time. It had one runway, 5/23, which was asphalt, 3,058 feet long and 50 feet wide, reported as "in good condition." The airport elevation was 892.2 feet above mean sea level.
Wreckage and Impact Information
According to an FAA inspector, the airplane came to rest on a street in a residential neighborhood near the departure end of runway 23. The airplane was thermally damaged aft of the firewall, including the cabin and part of the empennage. The fuel tanks were breached, with evidence of thermal damage.
Postrecovery examination revealed thermal damage to the cockpit and airframe. The flap trim actuator indicated a flap setting of less than 10°. The fuel selector valve, though thermally damaged, was tested with compressed air and indicated selection to "BOTH" at impact.
The engine remained attached to the thermally damaged firewall. Rear accessory pad components were thermally and impact damaged. Continuity was confirmed from the propeller to the rear accessory pad, and thumb compression was confirmed on all cylinders.
The 2-blade propeller remained attached and exhibited chordwise scratches, S-bending, and leading edge gouges. One blade was segmented, with one segment attached to the hub and the tip located in storage bags; the mid-portion was missing. No abnormalities or malfunctions were noted that would have precluded normal operation.
Additional Information
Fuel Records
According to fuel records, the airplane was last fueled at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), Durham, North Carolina, on September 12, 2015. The fixed-base operator manager reported it was "topped off" at that time. The airplane departed RDU on September 13, 2015, about 1230, flew to and landed at two other airports prior to the accident flight, and no records indicated refueling after RDU. Total flight time since refueling was approximately 4 hours.
Cessna 177 Pilot's Operating Handbook
Section V ("Operational Data"), figure 5-4 ("Cruise & Range Performance") stated that at 2,500 feet, the airplane would consume between 5.7 and 9.9 gallons of fuel per hour, providing an endurance of at least 4 1/2 hours, based on maximum gross weight of 2,350 pounds, standard conditions, zero wind, lean mixture, and 48 gallons of fuel with no reserve. The section further noted that allowances for fuel reserve, headwinds, takeoffs, climb, and mixture leaning technique variations should be made, and other variables might cause variations of 10% or more in maximum range.
Section II ("Description and Operating Details") stated that to achieve lean mixture fuel consumption, the mixture should be leaned by pulling the mixture control out until engine speed peaks and begins to fall off, then enriching back to peak RPM. It also described stall characteristics as conventional, with aural warning from a stall warning horn sounding between 5 and 10 MPH above the stall in all configurations.
Section I ("Operating Checklist") provided a balked landing (go-around) checklist: (1) Power – Full throttle; (2) Carburetor Heat – Cold; (3) Wing Flaps – Retract to '1/2'; (4) Upon reaching an airspeed of approximately 75 MPH, retract flaps slowly.
FAA Airplane Flying Handbook
Section 8 ("Approaches and Landings") stated in part that since the airplane is trimmed for approach (low power and low airspeed), application of maximum allowable power will require considerable control pressure to maintain a climb pitch attitude. The addition of power will tend to raise the nose suddenly and veer left. Forward elevator pressure must be anticipated and applied to hold the nose in a safe climb attitude.