What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Too much wind for 172. (.4)in an interview, the pilot stated that he obtained weather information from a television broadcast prior to his planned local flight. The winds were reported out of the south at 30 knots with gusts. The pilot said that while taxiing to the north/south grass runway the winds were strong, and immediately after the southbound takeoff it became 'gusty.' He opted to stay in the traffic pattern and re-land. The pilot recalled that while on final the flaps were extended 'one notch,' and the indicated airspeed was 65 knots. After reducing the power to idle just prior to the flare, the pilot stated that the airplane encountered a wind shear. He said a gust pitched the airplane up, then the wind abruptly stopped, causing the airplane to pitch nose down and collide with the runway. The nose gear separated from the airframe and the airplane nosed over, coming to rest inverted. In an interview, the right seat passenger said that the approach seemed normal. The airplane leveled off over the runway, then floated for a little bit. He said the airplane then quickly nosed up then 'banged down.' He recalls the f laps extended 'one notch' prior to impact. Neither the pilot nor the passenger remembers hearing a stall warning. (-23) on October 05, 1997 at or about 15:00 hr. Local time, in clear conditions with gusting winds, at Sandwich airport, Sandwich IL. Robert g. svatos the PIC and owner of a 1976 CE-172, N73899, sn.1726773, lost control of the aircraft while attempting to land. The pilot stated that, after take off, during climb out from Sandwich airport's paved runway, he decided to land the aircraft due to the gusting winds. On the final approach just before touch down the winds changed. The aircraft landed hard on the nose wheel, separating the wheel from the strut and the strut from aircraft. The aircraft nosed over and came to rest upside down on the grass runway at Sandwich airport. All personnel in the aircraft PIC robert g. svatos, PAX-1 al chicola, PAX-2 matt chicola exited the aircraft safely with no injuries. There was no fire and damage was confined to the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
TOO MUCH WIND FOR 172. (.4)IN AN INTERVIEW, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE OBTAINED WEATHER INFORMATION FROM A TELEVISION BROADCAST PRIOR TO HIS PLANNED LOCAL FLIGHT. THE WINDS WERE REPORTED OUT OF THE SOUTH AT 30 KNOTS WITH GUSTS. THE PILOT SAID THAT WHILE TAXIING TO THE NORTH/SOUTH GRASS RUNWAY THE WINDS WERE STRONG, AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SOUTHBOUND TAKEOFF IT BECAME 'GUSTY.' HE OPTED TO STAY IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AND RE-LAND. THE PILOT RECALLED THAT WHILE ON FINAL THE FLAPS WERE EXTENDED 'ONE NOTCH,' AND THE INDICATED AIRSPEED WAS 65 KNOTS. AFTER REDUCING THE POWER TO IDLE JUST PRIOR TO THE FLARE, THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED A WIND SHEAR. HE SAID A GUST PITCHED THE AIRPLANE UP, THEN THE WIND ABRUPTLY STOPPED, CAUSING THE AIRPLANE TO PITCH NOSE DOWN AND COLLIDE WITH THE RUNWAY. THE NOSE GEAR SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER, COMING TO REST INVERTED. IN AN INTERVIEW, THE RIGHT SEAT PASSENGER SAID THAT THE APPROACH SEEMED NORMAL. THE AIRPLANE LEVELED OFF OVER THE RUNWAY, THEN FLOATED FOR A LITTLE BIT. HE SAID THE AIRPLANE THEN QUICKLY NOSED UP THEN 'BANGED DOWN.' HE RECALLS THE F LAPS EXTENDED 'ONE NOTCH' PRIOR TO IMPACT. NEITHER THE PILOT NOR THE PASSENGER REMEMBERS HEARING A STALL WARNING. (-23) ON OCTOBER 05, 1997 AT OR ABOUT 15:00 HR. LOCAL TIME, IN CLEAR CONDITIONS WITH GUSTING WINDS, AT SANDWICH AIRPORT, SANDWICH IL. ROBERT G. SVATOS THE PIC AND OWNER OF A 1976 CE-172, N73899, SN.1726773, LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND. THE PILOT STATED THAT, AFTER TAKE OFF, DURING CLIMB OUT FROM SANDWICH AIRPORT'S PAVED RUNWAY, HE DECIDED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT DUE TO THE GUSTING WINDS. ON THE FINAL APPROACH JUST BEFORE TOUCH DOWN THE WINDS CHANGED. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD ON THE NOSE WHEEL, SEPARATING THE WHEEL FROM THE STRUT AND THE STRUT FROM AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER AND CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN ON THE GRASS RUNWAY AT SANDWICH AIRPORT. ALL PERSONNEL IN THE AIRCRAFT PIC ROBERT G. SVATOS, PAX-1 AL CHICOLA, PAX-2 MATT CHICOLA EXITED THE AIRCRAFT SAFELY WITH NO INJURIES. THERE WAS NO FIRE AND DAMAGE WAS CONFINED TO THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.