What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft stalled on final approach, crashed into a hangar. (-23) on February 16, 1997, Mr. Robert galvan, holder of private pilot certificate no. 452587215, acted as pilot in command of Cessna 172M, N80814, ona VFR flight from San Antonio international airport to Stinson Municipal Airport, San Antonio, Texas. During the fifth landing approach, Mr. Galvan realized that his approach was too high. Mr. Galvan stated that "he slowed the aircraft until the stall warning started to buzz", and that at approximatley 200-300 feet AGL, the "left wing dropped and the aircraft started to fall." Mr. Galvan righted the aircraft to the point that the aircraft impacted the ramp area with the left wing tip and left main landing gear first. Mr. Galvan was unable to stop the aircraft before it hit a hangar. Mr. Galvan was the only occupant of the aircraft and received minor injuries. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. Mr. Galvan will undergo a sec. 44709 reexamination. Y.4)the private pilot had not flown for over a year, so he elected to rent an airplane and fly to a nearby airport to practice takeoffs and landings. The pilot reported that while on his fifth approach to a full stop landing on runway 14, 'he found himself high for landing and allowed his airspeed to get too slow after he configured the airplane with full flaps.' According to the pilot: 'a gust of wind flipped the right wing upward, sending the airplane into a diving turn to the left.' The left wing separated from the airframe after the airplane impacted the door of a hangar located on the east side of the runway. The winds at the time of the accident were reported as calm. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunction and stated that he did not hear the sound of the stall warning horn.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT STALLED ON FINAL APPROACH, CRASHED INTO A HANGAR. (-23) ON FEBRUARY 16, 1997, MR. ROBERT GALVAN, HOLDER OF PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE NO. 452587215, ACTED AS PILOT IN COMMAND OF CESSNA 172M, N80814, ONA VFR FLIGHT FROM SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO STINSON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. DURING THE FIFTH LANDING APPROACH, MR. GALVAN REALIZED THAT HIS APPROACH WAS TOO HIGH. MR. GALVAN STATED THAT "HE SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT UNTIL THE STALL WARNING STARTED TO BUZZ", AND THAT AT APPROXIMATLEY 200-300 FEET AGL, THE "LEFT WING DROPPED AND THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO FALL." MR. GALVAN RIGHTED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE POINT THAT THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE RAMP AREA WITH THE LEFT WING TIP AND LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR FIRST. MR. GALVAN WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE IT HIT A HANGAR. MR. GALVAN WAS THE ONLY OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. MR. GALVAN WILL UNDERGO A SEC. 44709 REEXAMINATION. Y.4)THE PRIVATE PILOT HAD NOT FLOWN FOR OVER A YEAR, SO HE ELECTED TO RENT AN AIRPLANE AND FLY TO A NEARBY AIRPORT TO PRACTICE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE ON HIS FIFTH APPROACH TO A FULL STOP LANDING ON RUNWAY 14, 'HE FOUND HIMSELF HIGH FOR LANDING AND ALLOWED HIS AIRSPEED TO GET TOO SLOW AFTER HE CONFIGURED THE AIRPLANE WITH FULL FLAPS.' ACCORDING TO THE PILOT: 'A GUST OF WIND FLIPPED THE RIGHT WING UPWARD, SENDING THE AIRPLANE INTO A DIVING TURN TO THE LEFT.' THE LEFT WING SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME AFTER THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE DOOR OF A HANGAR LOCATED ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE WINDS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE REPORTED AS CALM. THE PILOT DID NOT REPORT ANY MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION AND STATED THAT HE DID NOT HEAR THE SOUND OF THE STALL WARNING HORN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.