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19980816021079A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 170 · Boulder, CO · August 16, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 16, 1998
Place
Boulder, CO
Airport
Boulder Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2574V
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW98LA360
Reported as
Cessna 170
Fatal injuries
0
N2574VRegistration cancelled Jan 20, 2001 · Cessna 170S/N 18111Airframe modelCessna 170

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.

Acft encountered a crosswind on landing and attempted to go around, acft did not maintain the necessary altitude or airspeed, the pilot purposely ground looped the acft to remain on the arpt. (-23) as the pilot approached the Boulder, Colorado airport he called the airport for weather conditions. The airport personnel told him that there were strong cross winds from the south, but they did not know the wind speed. A pilot who had just taken off to the east recommended that they should land going west because of the winds. He approached the runway going west and as he got close to the ground he encountered very strong cross winds and he could not line up with the runway with full left rudder. He decided to execute a go-around procedure, after approximately 1,000 feet further down the runway the aircraft still had not gained enough airspeed or altitude. He then decided to ground loop the aircraft and stay on the airport property rather than crash land the aircraft in the pond or trees west of the airport. The aircraft was severley damaged, but all of the occupants survived with only minor injuries.

As the FAA filed it

ACFT ENCOUNTERED A CROSSWIND ON LANDING AND ATTEMPTED TO GO AROUND, ACFT DID NOT MAINTAIN THE NECESSARY ALTITUDE OR AIRSPEED, THE PILOT PURPOSELY GROUND LOOPED THE ACFT TO REMAIN ON THE ARPT. (-23) AS THE PILOT APPROACHED THE BOULDER, COLORADO AIRPORT HE CALLED THE AIRPORT FOR WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE AIRPORT PERSONNEL TOLD HIM THAT THERE WERE STRONG CROSS WINDS FROM THE SOUTH, BUT THEY DID NOT KNOW THE WIND SPEED. A PILOT WHO HAD JUST TAKEN OFF TO THE EAST RECOMMENDED THAT THEY SHOULD LAND GOING WEST BECAUSE OF THE WINDS. HE APPROACHED THE RUNWAY GOING WEST AND AS HE GOT CLOSE TO THE GROUND HE ENCOUNTERED VERY STRONG CROSS WINDS AND HE COULD NOT LINE UP WITH THE RUNWAY WITH FULL LEFT RUDDER. HE DECIDED TO EXECUTE A GO-AROUND PROCEDURE, AFTER APPROXIMATELY 1,000 FEET FURTHER DOWN THE RUNWAY THE AIRCRAFT STILL HAD NOT GAINED ENOUGH AIRSPEED OR ALTITUDE. HE THEN DECIDED TO GROUND LOOP THE AIRCRAFT AND STAY ON THE AIRPORT PROPERTY RATHER THAN CRASH LAND THE AIRCRAFT IN THE POND OR TREES WEST OF THE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SEVERLEY DAMAGED, BUT ALL OF THE OCCUPANTS SURVIVED WITH ONLY MINOR INJURIES.

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 FTW98LA360Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBoulder, COThe pilot's intentional ground loop and his inadequate compensation for the wind condition. A contributng factor was crosswinds.Aug 16, 1998 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N2574V · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19851122064719INormal Cruise · Idaho City, UTEngine lost power and aircraft landed on road without damage. Ice in carburetor float bowl.Nov 22, 1985