Cessna 162 N30321 accident near Vernal, Utah

Probable cause

The flight instructor's abrupt maneuver at an altitude too low for recovery, which resulted in impact with the runway.

NTSB analysis

The flight instructor stated that he was demonstrating a soft field takeoff for the student pilot. While climbing away from the runway at best angle of climb, he saw a gray streak out of the corner of his eye and “immediately pitched up to avoid a wildlife strike.” The engine lost power and the pilot quickly pitched forward to lower the angle of attack; he did not recall anything further.

The student reported that the airplane lifted off the runway and increased speed close to the ground when the flight instructor pulled the control stick back abruptly and the airplane climbed at an extreme angle of attack. After a few seconds of going straight up, it felt as if the airplane stalled; however, the stall warning horn never sounded. The flight instructor then pushed the nose down. As they rapidly approached the ground, the flight instructor pulled up, but the airplane impacted the ground and bounced before it came to rest.

An on-scene examination revealed propeller striations on the runway surface and no indications of a birdstrike on the airframe or runway. Two different types of bird feathers were found near the runway shortly after the accident, but they were dry and likely present prior to the accident. A postaccident airframe and engine examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Damage to the propeller blades and the striations on the runway were consistent with the engine producing power at the time of impact.

The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the flight instructor’s abrupt maneuvering of the airplane at an altitude too low to recover and subsequent impact with the runway.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR19LA204 for the full record.