Event CEN18LA344

Factual narrative

On August 18, 2018, about 1500 central daylight time, a Cessna 172S airplane, N893JA, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Addison, Texas. The pilot and two passengers were seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 discovery flight. The pilot stated that, before departing Addison Airport (ADS), Addison, Texas, on the discovery flight with two passengers on board, he completed a weight and balance calculation on his phone and determined they were within the center of gravity limits for the airplane. He stated that the fuel had been “topped off” (56 gallons) by the prior flight instructor. The pilot explained that he cycled the flaps twice during his preflight inspection, once to ensure they fully extended and retracted, and a second time to visually inspect the rods and roller tracks. No issues were identified during the preflight inspection. The pilot reported that the engine performed “normally” on takeoff until the airplane began veering to the left. He applied right rudder and aileron. The controls felt normal with no resistance, but the airplane continued to veer over the grass toward the taxiway. The pilot recalled hearing the stall warning horn sound; he lowered the nose and adjusted the trim. He tried to keep the nose up, but the airplane continued in a nose-down position and impacted the dirt. The pilot recalled the airplane’s nose had started to lift prematurely when he applied power and he attempted to push it down before liftoff. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and empennage. A surveillance video from a tenant at ADS showed the airplane in a high-pitch attitude shortly after takeoff. As the airplane moved into the center of the video frame, its pitch attitude remained consistent until the left wing dropped, followed by a quick descent. The airplane impacted the ground left wing first. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical issues with the airplane. A postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any evidence of a preimpact failure or malfunction that would have precluded normal operation. The flap actuator indicated a flap setting of 30°. A weight and balance calculation based on the available loading information revealed that the takeoff gross weight was about 2,688 lbs; the maximum gross weight of the airplane was 2,550 lbs. The pilot reported that, shortly after departing on a discovery flight, the airplane began veering left. He applied right rudder and aileron; however, the airplane continued to veer left. He recalled hearing the stall warning horn and stated that he lowered the nose and adjusted the trim, but the airplane continued in a nose-down position and impacted the ground. A video of the accident flight showed the airplane in a high- pitch attitude shortly after takeoff, followed by the left wing dropping and a rapid descent, consistent with an aerodynamic stall. Given that the pilot had just taken off, there was insufficient altitude to recover from the stall. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and empennage. A postaccident examination did not reveal any evidence of a preimpact failure or malfunction that would have precluded normal operation. The examination revealed a flap setting of 30°. Weight and balance calculations determined that the airplane was loaded about 138 lbs over its maximum gross weight, which, in combination with the flap setting during takeoff, would have adversely affected the airplane’s climb rate. In an attempt to maintain a positive rate of climb, the pilot inadvertently exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack and aerodynamically stalled the airplane. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of equip/system-Pilot
• — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
• — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-(general)-Not attained/maintained
• — Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Flight control system-TE flap control system-Incorrect use/operation
• — Aircraft-Aircraft handling/service-Loading-(general)-Incorrect use/operation
• — Personnel issues-Task performance-Planning/preparation-Weight/balance calculations-Pilot