Accident Overview
On January 6, 2017, at approximately 1305 central standard time, a Cessna 172M, registration N80374, was substantially damaged during a landing accident at Hobart Sky Ranch Airport (3HO), Hobart, Indiana. The pilot, the sole occupant, received serious injuries. The flight was conducted as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Pilot Statements
The pilot told a law enforcement officer that he approached the runway from the north. When the landing gear contacted the runway, the airplane "skipped" and overshot the runway. The pilot could not recall events between the skip and the arrival of emergency personnel.
According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the pilot stated that the wind was from the west and that he chose to land to the south. The pilot noticed that his groundspeed increased and believed he had a tailwind. He elected to put the airplane on the runway and try to stop it.
Witness Account
The airport owner observed the airplane approach the runway and noted that it was traveling at a high speed. Upon touchdown, the airplane "skipped" off the runway and then crashed into a wooded area off the departure end of the runway.
Wreckage and Damage
The airplane came to rest approximately 150 feet beyond the departure end of the 3,125-foot-long runway in a thickly wooded area. Both wings, the engine, and the fuselage sustained substantial damage.
Examination of the wreckage revealed that the carburetor heat was in the "hot" position, the throttle and mixture controls were full forward, and the wing flaps were retracted. One propeller blade exhibited chordwise scratches and leading-edge polishing; the condition of the second blade was not documented. Scuff marks were present on each main landing gear. Along the path from the runway to the wreckage, tree limbs and brush were broken off about 3 feet above the ground.