19980331004899A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172F · Fort Collins, CO · March 31, 1998

Date: March 31, 1998 · 12:30 local
Place: Fort Collins, CO
Airport: Downtown Ft Collins Airpark
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N7894U
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW98LA166
Reported as: Cessna 172F
Reported engine: Continental O300C
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 69 total69 in this make and model62 in the last 90 days

N7894URegistered now · Cessna 172FS/N 17251894 · Built 1964 Airframe modelCessna 172F 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.

Variable gusty wind on takeoff. Windshear downwind. Landed in 20KT tailwind. Bounced. Porpoised. Damaged firewall. (.4)while practicing landings, the newly certificated private pilot encountered an increase in wind and a change of wind direction while in the pattern. He aborted his flight and conducted his final landing on the runway he had used for departure although the wind had shifted 180 degrees which created a tailwind of 30 knots. The aircraft porpoised during landing, and the second touchdown was hard causing substantial damage.

As the FAA filed it

VARIABLE GUSTY WIND ON TAKEOFF. WINDSHEAR DOWNWIND. LANDED IN 20KT TAILWIND. BOUNCED. PORPOISED. DAMAGED FIREWALL. (.4)WHILE PRACTICING LANDINGS, THE NEWLY CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT ENCOUNTERED AN INCREASE IN WIND AND A CHANGE OF WIND DIRECTION WHILE IN THE PATTERN. HE ABORTED HIS FLIGHT AND CONDUCTED HIS FINAL LANDING ON THE RUNWAY HE HAD USED FOR DEPARTURE ALTHOUGH THE WIND HAD SHIFTED 180 DEGREES WHICH CREATED A TAILWIND OF 30 KNOTS. THE AIRCRAFT PORPOISED DURING LANDING, AND THE SECOND TOUCHDOWN WAS HARD CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.

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 FTW98LA166Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportFort Collins, COthe pilot's improper in flight planning/decision in electing to land with a known 30 knot tailwind. Factors were high winds and a tailwind.Mar 31, 1998 · Substantial damage