History of Flight
On February 23, 2019, at about 1225 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172S, registration N224TA, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during the initial climb after takeoff from Mansfield Municipal Airport (1B9), Mansfield, Massachusetts. The flight instructor and student pilot were fatally injured. The airplane was owned and operated by New Horizon Aviation Inc. as a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Norwood Memorial Airport (OWD), Norwood, Massachusetts, about 1125.
After performing maneuvers over the local area, the airplane approached 1B9 for landing. Witnesses and review of airport surveillance video indicated that the airplane was on approach to runway 32, a 3,503-ft-long, 75-ft-wide asphalt runway. The airplane flared over the runway and floated a significant distance before touching down about 2,800 ft down the runway. The pilots then initiated a takeoff (touch-and-go). Although the published traffic pattern for runway 32 indicated left turns, the airplane performed a climb in a steep right bank before slowing and entering a spiraling descent toward a grass area near the airport terminal building.
Personnel Information
The flight instructor held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane multiengine land, and instrument airplane. He also held a flight instructor certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine, issued on November 1, 2018. His most recent FAA first-class medical certificate was issued on January 11, 2019. According to his logbook, he had accumulated about 386 total flight hours, with 66 hours in the 90 days and 33 hours in the 30 days preceding the accident.
The student pilot did not possess a student pilot certificate, nor was one required. His logbook showed that he had completed six lessons with the operator and had accrued 7.6 total flight hours at the time of the accident.
Aircraft Information
The four-seat, high-wing, fixed tricycle landing gear airplane was manufactured in 2002. It was powered by a Lycoming IO-360, 180-horsepower engine equipped with a two-blade, fixed-pitch McCauley propeller. The most recent annual inspection was completed on January 29, 2019. At that time, the airframe had 5,660 total hours, and the engine had 3,358 hours since new.
Meteorological Information
The accident site was located about 11 miles south of OWD. The 1253 recorded weather at OWD included wind variable at 3 knots, 10 miles visibility, clear sky, temperature 4°C, dew point -7°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.41 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage came to rest nose down in grass oriented on a magnetic heading of about 270°, with no debris path observed. Fuel had leaked from both wings into the grass. Both wings exhibited leading edge impact damage. The cockpit was crushed, but both front seatbelts remained intact and were unlatched by rescue personnel. The flaps and ailerons remained attached to their respective wings; measurement of the flap actuator corresponded to a flaps-retracted position. The rudder and elevator remained attached to the empennage, and the elevator trim actuator measured at a 5° tab-up (nose-down) trim position. Control continuity was confirmed from all flight control surfaces to the cockpit controls. The right aileron cable had separated, and both cable ends exhibited broomstraw separation consistent with overstress.
The engine had separated from the airframe. The propeller remained attached to the engine; one blade was undamaged and bent slightly forward, while the other blade was bent aft and exhibited chordwise scratches. The propeller and rear accessories were removed from the engine. The top spark plugs were removed; their electrodes were intact and light gray in color. The crankshaft was rotated via an accessory drive gear. Crankshaft, camshaft, and valve train continuity were confirmed, and thumb compression was obtained on all cylinders. Fuel was found in the engine-driven fuel pump, fuel servo, flow divider, and in the fuel lines. The fuel inlet screen of the fuel servo and oil suction screen were absent of debris. Both magnetos produced spark at all leads when rotated by hand.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Massachusetts Office of the Chief Medical Examiner performed autopsies on both pilots. The cause of death for both was blunt force injuries. Toxicology testing performed by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory was negative for drugs and alcohol.