| Crash location | 37.367778°N, 79.117223°W |
| Nearest city | Lynchburg, VA
37.413754°N, 79.142246°W 3.5 miles away |
| Tail number | N5408E |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 22 Jun 2002 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 172N |
| Additional details: | None |
On June 22, 2002, about 1210 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N5408E, was substantially damaged while landing at the Falwell Airport (W24), Lynchburg, Virginia. The certificated private pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that departed the Carroll County Regional/Jack B. Poage Field (DMW), Westminster, Maryland. No flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, the flight from Caroll County Airport was "uneventful." The pilot intended to land on runway 28, a 2,900-foot long, 50-foot wide asphalt surface. The pilot stated that on approach to W24, he "came in at a slow speed, and had the flaps set at 40 degrees." Prior to touching down, he noticed a "severe incline" in the runway, and decided to perform a go-around. The pilot then aborted the go-around when he realized he had enough runway on which to land. After touch down, a gust of wind hit the right wing. The pilot was unable to keep the airplane on the runway, and it veered off the left side. The airplane impacted trees, and came to rest on a grassy area.
In addition, the pilot stated that he loaded the airplane with "about" 4 boxes, each filled with books being delivered to a friend. He could not remember the exact amount of boxes in the airplane, or the weights of these boxes, but he added that there were a "couple" of boxes on the rear seat, and a "couple" in the rear cargo compartment.
According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the elevator trim was found in the full nose down position, and the flaps were set at 20 degrees.
The pilot did not report any malfunctions of the airplane, and his reported total flight time was 67 hours, with 13 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane. The runway was reported to be in good condition, and uncontaminated.
A weather observation, recorded at an airport about 5 miles North-East of W24, included winds from 090 degrees at 8 knots.
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane, a factor was the tailwind.