Cessna 172 N24ME accident near Roche Harbor, Washington

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to secure his seat position prior to takeoff, which resulted in a loss of airplane control and subsequent hard landing.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that he adjusted his seat and “wiggled it” prior to takeoff to ensure it was locked in place. However, during the takeoff roll, the seat moved all the way aft, and the pilot was not able to reach the throttle or the rudder pedals. The airplane veered to the left and lifted off the ground. Shortly after, the tail struck the ground, followed by the left wing, and the airplane came to rest on its nose.

A postaccident examination of the seat rail and latching mechanism revealed no anomalies. There was proper hole engagement with the seat pin and holes in the seat rail; the seat did not move once the stop was engaged with the hole. Therefore, it is likely that although the pilot attempted to secure his seat before takeoff, the seat pin was likely not engaged in the corresponding hole in the seat rail, which resulted in its aft movement when the airplane gained speed during the takeoff roll.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR18LA259 for the full record.