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 after stalling at 20 feet and crashing, though the pilot and three passengers were uninjured.
- The accident occurred because the pilot attempted takeoff with the gust lock still connected to the control yoke.
- Despite performing a pre-flight inspection for passengers involved in the Young Eagles Program, the pilot overlooked removing the gust lock.
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