19990508004879A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Cessna 172N · Las Vegas, NV · May 8, 1999

Date
May 8, 1999 · 14:18 local
Place
Las Vegas, NV
Airport
North Las Vegas Air Terminal
Phase of flight
Go Round (Aborted VFR)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
CGIUX
Reported as
Cessna 172N
Reported engine
Lycoming O320D2J
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
181 total30 in this make and model

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.

Canadian-registered acft was attempting to land on rwy 25 when it executed a go-around, entered a right turn, and crashed north of the rwy, other circumstances are unknown. (-23)on 5/8/99 at approximately 1420 hrs., a conadain registered aircraft, cgiux, Cessna C-172 made three attempts to land at north Las Vegas airport due to the strong surface winds. On the third attempt, the Cessna touched down on the runway but due to its inability to maintain directional control, took off again. After liftoff, the Cessna veered off to the right and stalled. The right wing of the Cessna struck the ground and crashed through the airport perimeter fence and came to rest inverted in the middle of a boulevard. (.4)during each of the three attempted landings the pilot received surface wind information from the tower that was reporting variable wind conditions from 160 degrees to 210 degrees, with the velocity from 12 knots to 22 knots, including higher gusts to 25 knots. The pilot was cleared to land on runway 12, but was unable to maintain runway alignment due to the winds and performed a go-around. The tower subsequently cleared the pilot to land on runway 25; however, the pilot was unable to complete the second landing attempt and performed another go-around. He reported that on the third landing he compensated for the crosswind condition, but as the airplane touched down it was blown right of centerline. He aborted the landing, applied full power, and rotated at 45 knots. Due to obstructions, he did not lower the nose of the airplane to gain airspeed. After clearing the obstructions, he made a turn to the right and lowered the nose; however, the airplane continued to descend. The pilot said that as the airspeed decayed through 40 knots, he knew the airplane was going to stall. During the accident sequence he did not recall hearing the stall warning horn. The airframe and engi NE were examined on-scene. No discrepancies were noted with the engine. Examination of the stall warning horn system revealed that the reed assembly was missing and could not be located at the accident site. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane at a low altitude and then saw the right wing drop prior to striking the chain link fence. The maximum factory demonstrated crosswind capability for the Cessna 172 os 15 knots.

As the FAA filed it

CANADIAN-REGISTERED ACFT WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON RWY 25 WHEN IT EXECUTED A GO-AROUND, ENTERED A RIGHT TURN, AND CRASHED NORTH OF THE RWY, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (-23)ON 5/8/99 AT APPROXIMATELY 1420 HRS., A CONADAIN REGISTERED AIRCRAFT, CGIUX, CESSNA C-172 MADE THREE ATTEMPTS TO LAND AT NORTH LAS VEGAS AIRPORT DUE TO THE STRONG SURFACE WINDS. ON THE THIRD ATTEMPT, THE CESSNA TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RUNWAY BUT DUE TO ITS INABILITY TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, TOOK OFF AGAIN. AFTER LIFTOFF, THE CESSNA VEERED OFF TO THE RIGHT AND STALLED. THE RIGHT WING OF THE CESSNA STRUCK THE GROUND AND CRASHED THROUGH THE AIRPORT PERIMETER FENCE AND CAME TO REST INVERTED IN THE MIDDLE OF A BOULEVARD. (.4)DURING EACH OF THE THREE ATTEMPTED LANDINGS THE PILOT RECEIVED SURFACE WIND INFORMATION FROM THE TOWER THAT WAS REPORTING VARIABLE WIND CONDITIONS FROM 160 DEGREES TO 210 DEGREES, WITH THE VELOCITY FROM 12 KNOTS TO 22 KNOTS, INCLUDING HIGHER GUSTS TO 25 KNOTS. THE PILOT WAS CLEARED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 12, BUT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN RUNWAY ALIGNMENT DUE TO THE WINDS AND PERFORMED A GO-AROUND. THE TOWER SUBSEQUENTLY CLEARED THE PILOT TO LAND ON RUNWAY 25; HOWEVER, THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO COMPLETE THE SECOND LANDING ATTEMPT AND PERFORMED ANOTHER GO-AROUND. HE REPORTED THAT ON THE THIRD LANDING HE COMPENSATED FOR THE CROSSWIND CONDITION, BUT AS THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN IT WAS BLOWN RIGHT OF CENTERLINE. HE ABORTED THE LANDING, APPLIED FULL POWER, AND ROTATED AT 45 KNOTS. DUE TO OBSTRUCTIONS, HE DID NOT LOWER THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE TO GAIN AIRSPEED. AFTER CLEARING THE OBSTRUCTIONS, HE MADE A TURN TO THE RIGHT AND LOWERED THE NOSE; HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO DESCEND. THE PILOT SAID THAT AS THE AIRSPEED DECAYED THROUGH 40 KNOTS, HE KNEW THE AIRPLANE WAS GOING TO STALL. DURING THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE HE DID NOT RECALL HEARING THE STALL WARNING HORN. THE AIRFRAME AND ENGI NE WERE EXAMINED ON-SCENE. NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED WITH THE ENGINE. EXAMINATION OF THE STALL WARNING HORN SYSTEM REVEALED THAT THE REED ASSEMBLY WAS MISSING AND COULD NOT BE LOCATED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING THE AIRPLANE AT A LOW ALTITUDE AND THEN SAW THE RIGHT WING DROP PRIOR TO STRIKING THE CHAIN LINK FENCE. THE MAXIMUM FACTORY DEMONSTRATED CROSSWIND CAPABILITY FOR THE CESSNA 172 OS 15 KNOTS.