# Accident 19980517009459A: Cessna 172P, Monument Valley, UT, May 17, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 17, 1998, 14:40 local time
- Place: Monument Valley, UT
- Airport: Monument Valley Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Final Approach
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: ASWA
- Location: 37.0807° N, 110.2499° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.0807&lon=-110.2499&mi=10
- Aircraft: N65759, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N65759-2011-04-13) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172P (registry code 2072436, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172p) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172P
- Reported engine: LYC O320D2J
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,617 total, 1,100 in this make and model, 60 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98LA220](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA220) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980517009459A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ACFT CRASHED ON THE RWY UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, WIND IS A POSSIBLE FACTOR, MONUMENT VALLEY, UT. (-23) ON FINAL, NEAR THRESHOLD, A GUST OF WIND BLEW THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY. PILOT APPLIED POWER AND INITIATED GO-AROUND. THE PLAN BEGAN TO CLIMB SLOWLY. PILOT TURNED ACROSS RUNWAY AND THEN DOWNWIND. THE VSI WENT TO NEGATIVE AND REMAINED THERE. THE PILOT THEN INITIATED A SHORT FINAL FOR THE AIRPORT. HE HIT GROUND AT APPROXIMATELY 30 DEGREE ANGLE TO RUNWAY.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     (.4) THE PILOT WAS PERFORMINGA SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT AND WAS SECOND IN A GROU P OF THREE TO LAND. AT 200 FEET AGL, A 'SEVERE GUST' TURNED THE A/C 30 TO 40 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT AND AT A 40 DEGREE BANK.THE PILOT ADDED POWER TO GO-AROUND, AND THE A/C BEGAN A SLIGHT CLIMB. DUE TO APPROACHING MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, THE PILOT INITIATED AN EARLY TURN TO CROSSWIND; HOWEVER, THE A/C ONLY REACHED AN ALTITUDE OF APPROX. 200 TO 300 AGL WHILE IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN.WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH FOR HIS SECOND ATTEMPT TO LAND, THE A/C IMPACTED THE GROUND 150 FEET TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY AT A HEADING OF APPROX. 195 DEGREES WITH FULL POWER AND IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE. THE NOSE AND RIGHT MAIN GEAR WERE SEPARATED FROM THE A/C, AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ON ITS NOSE. APPROX. ONE HOUR AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE WIND BLEW THE A/C ONTO ITS BACK. ACCORDING TO A REPRESENTATIVE OF SCENIC AIRLINES, INC., THE PILOT'S DATE OF HIRE WAS APRIL 24, 1998, AND HE WAS EMPLOYED WITH THE COMPANY FOR LESS THAN A MONTH PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. IN ADDITION, THE PILOT WAS FROM CALIFORNIA AND WAS NEW TO THE GEOGRAPHIC AREA. DENSITY ALTITUDE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS CALCULATED TO BE 7,854 FEET.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB FTW98LA220](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA220), May 17, 1998: Cessna 172P (N65759), Monument Valley, UT, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the aircraft during landing. Factors were gusty, crosswind conditions, the pilot's lack of experience in type of operation and geographic area,…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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