NTSB Factual Report

On July 26, 2008, approximately 1315 central daylight time, a Cessna 172, N6257E, owned and piloted by a non-certificated pilot, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees shortly after departure from Athens Municipal Airport, Athens, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot and front seat passenger sustained minor injuries; the rear seat passenger was seriously injured. The cross country flight was originating at the time of the accident and was en route to Liberty, Texas.

According to a telephone conversation with the pilot, he had flown to Athens to pick up his daughter. After fueling, and a thorough preflight and run-up, the airplane departed runway 17 (3,988 feet by 60 feet, asphalt). The pilot reported no anomalies prior to takeoff. He stated that during the climb, there seemed to be a lack of power. The airplane started to descend and he attempted to maintain altitude. The pilot stated that the rpms continued to decrease and the stall horn sounded just above the tree tops. He tried to "get the nose up" to expose the belly of the airplane to the obstacles ahead. The airplane impacted the trees and came to rest upright, 1/2 mile southwest of the airport.

According to the airport manager who witnessed the accident, just prior to departure, the pilot had the airplane topped off and loaded two large bags into the airplane. He reported that the airplane "seemed to accelerate very slowly, however the engine sounded fine." He stated that at "two thousand feet down the runway" the pilot "pulled the nose of the aircraft up." The airplane "continued to try to climb without much luck", turned to miss the taller trees, and eventually disappeared.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration Airworthiness (FAA) inspector who traveled to the scene, both wings were crushed aft, the landing gear had collapsed, and the firewall was wrinkled. The airplane was recovered and relocated to Lancaster, Texas, for further examination.

In a written statement submitted by the pilot, he had spoken with the "FBO operator" about the airplane being "slightly off in performance" and the FBO operator suggested he "burn off [the] carbon" prior to takeoff. The pilot reported that he ran the engine to 1,800 rpm, leaned the mixture to the point that the engine "quit", then enrichened the mixture and allowed the engine to run an additional five minutes before takeoff. The pilot wrote that he felt the "tendency" of the airplane engine "to build up carbon" should be considered in this accident.

On August 29, 2008, the maintenance records, airframe, airplane systems, and engine were examined by representatives from Cessna Aircraft, and Teledyne Continental Motors, under the auspices of the FAA. According to the maintenance records, a "top overhaul" was conducted on the engine in Brownsville, Texas, on November 13, 2006. No annual inspection was recorded to coincide with this maintenance. The most recent annual inspection recorded in the records took place on May 22, 1989. The engine started without hesitation or issues and ran for several minutes. An examination of the remaining systems revealed no anomalies.

According to the FAA database the pilot did not hold a pilot certificate or current medical certificate.

The closest weather observation station recorded a temperature of 91 degrees Fahrenheit. Density altitude was calculated to be between 2,509 and 2,804 feet. A weight and balance calculation revealed the airplane was at an estimated gross weight of 2,037 pounds, and within the performance envelope at the time of take-off. According to Cessna Aircraft, the airplane would have required no less than 1,604 feet to clear a 50 foot obstacle with an expected rate of climb of 647 feet per minute.

NTSB Probable Cause

A partial loss of engine power during initial climb due to undetermined reasons, which led to an uncontrolled descent and subsequent aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's improper preflight decision to attempt the flight with a suspected engine problem.