FARMINGDALE, NJ, USA
N52633
Cessna 172
After the pilot taxied onto the runway for departure, he set the elevator trim wheel 1/2 inch nose down, announced his departure, and applied full power. He reported that he 'felt nose-down pressure from the beginning of the takeoff roll.' As the airplane accelerated, the pilot 'wound off the trim' and at 55 knots, the airplane rotated. The pilot stated that immediately after takeoff, the airplane dove toward the runway. It struck the runway and bounced twice. The airplane then experienced a 'small bounce', and landed on the main gear. The pilot stated that he experienced no flight control difficulties prior to the accident, and reported that the accident could have been caused by many possibilities, including, '...a stall, excessive nose-down trim, or a relaxed yoke.' Additionally, the pilot stated his normal procedure for takeoff was to apply about 1/2 inch of nose-down trim, to 'keep the airplane on the runway.' After the accident, the elevator trim wheel was rotated without restriction, and examination of the airplane revealed no pre-impact failure of the flight controls.
On March 24, 2000, about 1600 Eastern Standard Time, a Cessna 172, N52633, was substantially damaged during takeoff from the Allaire Airport (BLM), Farmingdale, New Jersey. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to the pilot, the flight originated at the Lakewood Airport (N12), Lakewood, New Jersey. The pilot then flew to BLM to pick up a passenger for a local flight. While he waited for the passenger to arrive, the pilot decided he would practice touch-and-go landings in the traffic pattern. He performed a preflight check and taxied to Runway 14, "without performing a run-up check." After he taxied onto the runway, the pilot set the elevator trim wheel 1/2 inch nose down, announced his departure, and applied full power. The pilot reported that he "felt nose-down pressure from the beginning of the takeoff roll." As the airplane accelerated, the pilot "wound off the trim" and at 55 knots, the airplane rotated. The pilot stated that immediately after takeoff, about 20 feet above the ground, the airplane dove toward the runway. The airplane struck the runway centerline with the nose gear, and bounced to "about the same altitude." The pilot reduced the power to idle, and applied full back pressure; however, the airplane entered a shallower dive than the first time, and again struck the runway centerline with the nose gear. The airplane then experienced a "small bounce" off the runway, and landed on the main gear. The pilot reported that rudder and yoke movement was hampered by "binding," as he taxied to the ramp. The pilot stated that he experienced no flight control difficulties prior to the accident. He reported that the accident could have been caused by many possibilities, including, "...a stall, excessive nose-down trim, or a relaxed yoke." Additionally, the pilot stated his normal procedure for takeoff was to apply about 1/2 inch of nose-down trim, to "keep the airplane on the runway." According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector who examined the airplane after the accident, the nose gear was driven upward, which wrinkled the firewall, and "jammed" the flight controls. There was also a "chunk" taken out of the propeller. The elevator trim wheel was rotated without restriction, and no pre-impact failure of the flight controls was revealed. The pilot reported 430 hours of total flight experience, 420 of which were in the same make and model as the accident airplane. The winds reported at BLM, at the time of the accident, were from 150 degrees, at 10 knots.
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane which resulted in an inadvertent stall. A factor in the accident was the pilot's use of excessive nose-down elevator trim.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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