Accident Overview
On June 20, 2016, at 1445 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172P, registration N54285, was substantially damaged during a hard landing after takeoff from Cherry Ridge Airport (N30) in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. The private pilot, who owned the aircraft, and the copilot and one passenger on board were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
Pilot and Aircraft Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating and a third-class medical certificate issued April 28, 2015. He reported 878 total hours of flight experience, all in the accident airplane make and model.
The four-seat, single-engine, high-wing airplane was manufactured in 1981 and powered by a Lycoming O-320 160-horsepower engine. Its most recent annual inspection was completed on May 26, 2016, at 9,703.9 aircraft hours.
Flight Sequence
The pilot stated he had flown from Morristown Airport (MMU), Morristown, New Jersey, earlier that day. Preflight inspection, engine run-up, taxi, and takeoff for both the earlier flight and the accident flight were performed per the pilot operating handbook with no anomalies noted.
For the accident takeoff, the pilot accelerated and rotated at 65 knots after using approximately one-third of the 2,986-foot-long runway. He reported that when about 30 to 40 feet in the air, he felt the airplane was not climbing and would not clear the trees at the end of the runway. He closed the throttle, landed on the runway, but overran the right side at the departure end. The airplane continued down a steep embankment and came to rest nose down in low brush.
The copilot, in a telephone interview, stated that the pilot performed a walk-around and checked fuel and oil, then assisted with the before-starting and takeoff checklists. Everything sounded normal. The copilot called "65 knots" and rotate, then activated the noise-cancelling feature of his headphones. He could not hear any power interruption but heard the pilot announce landing back on the runway. After landing, the airplane nearly stopped but carried off the right side.
Surveillance Video Analysis
A review of surveillance video showed the wings rocking immediately after liftoff at the midpoint of the runway. The pitch attitude increased, but the airplane never climbed more than 15 feet above ground level. It then leveled suddenly and fell hard onto all three landing gear with approximately 675 feet of runway remaining. The airplane bounced several times and settled on all three landing gear with 500 feet remaining. It then departed the right side of the runway at the departure end.
Aircraft Examination
An FAA inspector examined the airplane and found substantial damage to the wings due to the hard landing, but no preimpact mechanical anomalies. The engine started immediately using the airplane's battery, accelerated smoothly, and ran continuously without interruption.
Environmental and Performance Factors
At 1455, the temperature at Sullivan County Airport (MSV), 23 miles northeast of N30, was 29°C, dewpoint 14°C, and altimeter 30.09 inches of mercury. The copilot noted it was "warmer" at Morristown (MMU) when they departed about 1200. The calculated density altitude at MMU at that time was 1,524 feet. At N30, elevation 1,357 feet, the calculated density altitude at the time of the accident was 3,297 feet. For a density altitude of 2,000 feet, the calculated ground roll to stop the airplane was 610 feet.
According to FAA Pamphlet FAA-P-8740-2 on Density Altitude: reduced air density adversely affects aerodynamic performance and engine power output. Takeoff distance increases, climb rate decreases, true airspeed increases for the same indicated airspeed, and landing roll distance increases. Pilots should determine density altitude and consult aircraft performance charts during preflight preparation.