At about 09:58 eastern time, a Cessna 172K was damaged during takeoff from Hagerstown Airport. The pilot and three passengers were not injured. The pilot said the purpose of the flight was to introduce several passengers to the Young Eagles Program. He performed a pre-flight inspection, and explained to the passengers the function of each component as he checked it. He then taxied the airplane to Runway 27 and applied full power for takeoff. The airplane rotated on its own and the pilot noted the gust lock was still connected to the control yoke. The airplane climbed to about 20 feet and stalled, crashing to the runway.
Nov. 17, Hagerstown, Md. / Cessna Skyhawk
At about 09:58 eastern time, a Cessna 172K was damaged during takeoff from Hagerstown Airport. The pilot and three passengers were not injured. The pilot said the purpose of the flight was to introduce several passengers to the Young Eagles Program. He performed a pre-flight inspection, and explained to the passengers the function of each component as he checked it. He then taxied the airplane to Runway 27 and applied full power for takeoff. The airplane rotated on its own and the pilot noted the gust lock was still connected to the control yoke. The airplane climbed to about 20 feet and stalled, crashing to the runway....
Key Takeaways:
- A Cessna 172K was damaged during takeoff from Hagerstown Airport, though the pilot and three passengers were uninjured.
- The aircraft stalled at about 20 feet and crashed because the pilot had inadvertently left the gust lock connected to the control yoke.
- This critical oversight occurred despite the pilot performing a pre-flight inspection and explaining components to the passengers.
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