19980219006059A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172H · St Petersburg-C, FL · February 19, 1998

Date: February 19, 1998 · 16:09 local
Place: St Petersburg-C, FL
Airport: St Petersburg-Clearwater International
Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N1430F
NTSB investigation: NTSBMIA98LA080
Reported as: Cessna 172H
Reported engine: Continental O300*
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,521 total1,305 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days

N1430FRegistration cancelled Mar 10, 2017 · Cessna 172HS/N 17254925 · Built 1966 Airframe modelCessna 172H Engine modelContinental 0-300 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.4) Although airport surface winds were shifting throughout the 29 minutes of practice landings, exemplified by three runway changes, the pilot had no airplane control difficulties until after his final full stop landing as he was holding short for taxi clearance back to his FBO. Wind gusts, reported by tower personnel to be about two minutes in duration, reversed direction from west to east as a rain shower traversed the field, lifted the tail until the airplane's longitudinal axis was vertical, and blew it over into an inverted position. (-23) the pilot was taxiing to the camp after takeoff and landing practice. A wind gust blew the airplane to the inverted position.

As the FAA filed it

(.4) ALTHOUGH AIRPORT SURFACE WINDS WERE SHIFTING THROUGHOUT THE 29 MINUTES OF PRACTICE LANDINGS, EXEMPLIFIED BY THREE RUNWAY CHANGES, THE PILOT HAD NO AIRPLANE CONTROL DIFFICULTIES UNTIL AFTER HIS FINAL FULL STOP LANDING AS HE WAS HOLDING SHORT FOR TAXI CLEARANCE BACK TO HIS FBO. WIND GUSTS, REPORTED BY TOWER PERSONNEL TO BE ABOUT TWO MINUTES IN DURATION, REVERSED DIRECTION FROM WEST TO EAST AS A RAIN SHOWER TRAVERSED THE FIELD, LIFTED THE TAIL UNTIL THE AIRPLANE'S LONGITUDINAL AXIS WAS VERTICAL, AND BLEW IT OVER INTO AN INVERTED POSITION. (-23) THE PILOT WAS TAXIING TO THE CAMP AFTER TAKEOFF AND LANDING PRACTICE. A WIND GUST BLEW THE AIRPLANE TO THE INVERTED POSITION.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB MIA98LA080Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSt. Petersburg, FLa sudden encounter with wind gusts associated with a quickly passing rain shower which resulted in a nose-over, and subsequent collision with the runway.Feb 19, 1998 · Substantial damage