ALBUQUERQUE, NM, USA
N2972X
CESSNA 177RG
SURVIVING PAX SAID ACFT BANKED STEEPLY TO LEFT AFTER TAKEOFF AND SHUDDERED. HE SAW PLT REACH FOR FLAP CONTROL HANDLE. PAX REMEMBERED HORN BLOWING IN BACKGROUND. WITNESSES SAID ACFT SPEED AND CLIMB RATE WERE SLOW AND SAW ACFT WOBBLE AND DIP WINGS. ONE WITNESS, IN LINE WITH ACFT TAKEOFF PATH, SAW FLAPS BEING RETRACTED SLIGHTLY. EXAMINATION OF WRECKAGE DISCLOSED FLAP JACKSCREW EXTENDED 10 THREADS OR 1.66 INCHES, EQUIVALENT TO APRX 14 DEG FLAPS DOWN. MANUFACTURER SUGGESTS TAKE OFF WITH FLAPS UP OR 1/4 (7.5 DEG) DOWN. PLT WAS KNOWN TO HAVE HABIT OF STARTING TAKEOFF ROLL WITH FLAPS UP AND, AS LIFTOFF SPEED WAS ATTAINED, TO 'SLAP' FLAP HANDLE DOWN TO DETENT (1/4 OR 7.5 DEG SETTING). EXPERIMENTATION LATER SHOWED THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE TO SLAP FLAP HANDLE INADVERTENTLY PAST DETENT OR FULL DOWN POSITION.
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF FLAPS DURING TAKEOFF WHICH RESULTED IN INADEQUATE AIRSPEED, A STALL, AND LOSS OF CONTROL.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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