Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Allenholm Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
South Hero, Vermont 05486
Thursday, October 18, 2001 16:25 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot and three passengers were departing runway 18, a 2,000-foot long, 40-foot wide, turf runway. According to a passenger, the airplane lifted off the ground about halfway down the runway, settled back onto the runway, and lifted off again near the end of the runway. The airplane began to climb and everything seemed normal until the airplane climbed above the trees and encountered a sudden wind gust. At that point, the airplane began to sink, the right wing lifted and the nose dropped. The airplane impacted the ground approximately 510 feet south, and 100 feet east of the extended center of the runway and a post crash fire ensued. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any pre-impact malfunctions. Winds reported at an airport about 11 miles west-northwest of the accident site about 30 minutes prior to the accident, were from 280 degrees at 10 knots, with 15 knot gusts, variable from 250 to 310 degrees. An estimated weight and balance calculation revealed the accident flight was conducted at a weight near the airplane maximum gross weight.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the takeoff. Factors in this accident were wind gusts and the airplane's high gross weight condition.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/18/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1625 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | South Hero |
| Event State | VERMONT |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 05486 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 443713N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0731820W |
| Event Location Airport | ALLENHOLM |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | VT26 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 140 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Abbreviated |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1553 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 290 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PLB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 371 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 9 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 280 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 15 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.14 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 12255 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA NEROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 18 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1830 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 10 2002 8:12AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Portland |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8255B |
| NTSB Number | NYC02FA012 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 172 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 36055 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2200 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 17 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 210 |
| Airframe Hours | 6950 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Champlain Island Hoppers |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2 Chase Lane Allen Point |
| Aircraft Owner City | South Hero |
| Aircraft Owner State | VT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 05486 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | VT26 |
| Departure City | South Hero |
| Departure State | VT |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1625 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff - initial climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 6 2002 1:48PM |
| User who most recently changed record | PEAR |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 18 |
| Runway Length | 2000 |
| Runway Width | 40 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |