MCHENRY, MD, USA
N30036
CESSNA 177
WITNESSES REPORTED THE ACFT TOOK OFF WITH WINDS THAT VARIED FROM A LEFT CROSSWIND TO A LEFT QUARTERING TAILWIND. THE RWY SLOPES UPWARD, AND THE TERRAIN SLOPES DOWN PAST THE RWY END. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, ALTHOUGH THE ACFT CLIMBED SLOWLY, AND THE ACFT ROLLED LEFT AND RIGHT SEVERAL TIMES, THE ENGINE WAS OPERATING THE ENTIRE TIME. THE ACFT ABRUPTLY PITCHED DOWN, DESCENDED AND CRASHED. EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT REVEALED THE FLAPS WERE EXTENDED 30 DEGREES (FULL DOWN). ACCORDING TO AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE DATA THE BEST RATE OF CLIMB WITH 30 DEGREES OF FLAPS IS ABOUT 310 FPM, BASED ON STANDARD TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS COMPUTED TO BE ABOUT 4000 FT.
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN ADEQUATE TAKEOFF AIRSPEED AS A RESULT OF AN IMPROPER FLAP SETTING. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE A TAKEOFF WITH A TAILWIND, AN UPSLOPING RUNWAY, AND HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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