Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Portsmouth Intn'l Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Portsmouth, New Hampshire 03801
Friday, August 2, 2013 23:20 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot stated that in preparation for a night flight, he flew earlier that same evening. He inspected the airplane and noted the control lock was not installed in the control column. While searching for the control lock he located a “straight pin” in a seatback pocket and installed it. He left the airport and returned later than evening, and performed a preflight inspection of the airplane removing the straight pin. He departed and flew to his destination airport where he landed uneventfully. After landing he went to a fixed base operator and filed a flight plan for the return flight, then returned to the airplane and started the engine. He taxied to the run-up area of runway 34 where he performed the before takeoff checklist but did not check that the flight controls were free and clear for fear of having his tablet knocked off the yoke mount. He advised the controller that he was ready for departure and was cleared for takeoff.
He taxied onto the runway and applied power noting the airspeed increased normally. After the airplane rotated it climbed to an altitude of about 3 feet and settled back down on the runway and bounced. Confused as to what was occurring, he added nose up trim to assist in the climb. At this point the airplane climbed to about 10 feet, then the nose pitched downward and the nose wheel struck the runway. After coming to a stop he switched the headlamp he was wearing from red to white and noticed the pin used to secure the flight controls was in the control lock hole. He removed the pin and retained possession of it.
Post accident inspection of the airplane by a FAA inspector revealed substantial damage to the firewall.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection resulting in his failure to remove the pin he used to lock the flight controls in place of the approved control lock.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/2/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 2320 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Portsmouth |
| Event State | NEW HAMPSHIRE |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 03801 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 430440N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0704923W |
| Event Location Airport | Portsmouth Intn'l Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | PSM |
| 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 | 100 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2346 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PSM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 100 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 12000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 9500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 20 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 230 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.83 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 31826 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA New England ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 4 2013 9:15AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N645PD |
| NTSB Number | ERA13CA350 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 172S |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 172S8644 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2550 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 2 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 19 2013 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 59 |
| Airframe Hours | 5398 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CLIMB ON LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | WEST SPRINGFIELD |
| Aircraft Owner State | MA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 01089-2638 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Westfield Flight Academy |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Westfield |
| Operator State | MA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 01085 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | PSM |
| Departure City | Portsmouth |
| Departure State | NH |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 2320 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | BAF |
| Destination City | Westfield |
| Destination State | ME |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 4 2013 9:16AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 34 |
| Runway Length | 11321 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |