Cessna 172 N8878B accident near Rio Vista, Texas

Probable cause

The student pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the initial climb after an excessive takeoff run from a grass airstrip, which resulted in the exceedance of the airplane's critical angle-of-attack and a subsequent aerodynamic stall and loss of control. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's inadequate supervision and delayed remediation.

NTSB analysis

The student pilot and flight instructor were conducting the flight. The student reported that he and the flight instructor had landed at the airstrip to pick up a passenger. They then took off from the grass airstrip with the student flying the airplane. The airplane was about half to three-quarters of the way down the runway when it lifted off. The student pointed the airplane's nose forward to increase the airspeed, but the airplane was nearing the end of the runway. He raised the nose to climb higher, but the airplane would not climb. About 70 ft above ground level, the airplane stalled. The flight instructor then took the controls, but the airplane was not accelerating. The airplane struck a tree at the end of the airstrip and then impacted the ground.

The pilot stated that he did not think the engine was producing sufficient power; however, no anomalies were found with the airplane during a postaccident examination. The runway was 2,600 ft long, and, based on the weather conditions at the time of the accident, the airplane's takeoff ground run distance to clear a 50-ft obstacle was 1,287 ft. Given that the airplane did not lift off until about half to three-quarters of the way down the runway, it is likely that there was insufficient runway distance remaining for the airplane to safely clear the trees at the end of the airstrip. The student raised the airplane's nose to gain altitude, which resulted in his failure to maintain adequate airspeed and led to the exceedance of the airplane's critical angle-of-attack and a subsequent aerodynamic stall.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN13LA581 for the full record.