20000821039799A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172P · San Antonio, TX · August 21, 2000

Date
August 21, 2000 · 16:00 local
Place
San Antonio, TX
Airport
Stinson Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Touch And Go Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
GL8S
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N98873
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW00LA240
Reported as
Cessna 172P
Reported engine
Lycoming O320D2J
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
130 total30 in this make and model64 in the last 90 days

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)On August 21, 2000, approximately 1600 central daylight time, a Cessna 172P airplane, N98873, was substantially damaged following a loss of control while landing on runway 14 at the Stinson Municipal Airport, San Antonio, Texas. The pilot, who held a valid mexican private pilot certificate, and his pilot-rated passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight. The local flight originated from the San Antonio international airport at 1515. According to the pilot, the accident occurred while he was practicing touch and go landings at the Stinson airport. During a telephone interview with the NTSB investigator-in-charge, the pilot reported the following sequence of events of the accident: while starting to flare on the third landing, a right cross-wind "gust" pushed the airplane to the left. The airplane floated to the left, off the side of the runway, as the pilot attempted to correct by raising the nose and applying right rudder. Subsequently, the left main landing gear made contact with the ground and collapsed, resulting in the airplane skidding across a taxiway. The 148-hour pilot did not state that he had any cross-wind problems during the first two touch and go landings, nor did he state that there were any mechanical or control problems with the airplane. Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed structural damage to the tail and horizontal stabilizer. At 1623, the reported winds at Stinson airport were from 140 degrees at 9 knots with no gusts.

As the FAA filed it

(.4)ON AUGUST 21, 2000, APPROXIMATELY 1600 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 172P AIRPLANE, N98873, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL WHILE LANDING ON RUNWAY 14 AT THE STINSON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. THE PILOT, WHO HELD A VALID MEXICAN PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE, AND HIS PILOT-RATED PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AT 1515. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE HE WAS PRACTICING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS AT THE STINSON AIRPORT. DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE, THE PILOT REPORTED THE FOLLOWING SEQUENCE OF EVENTS OF THE ACCIDENT: WHILE STARTING TO FLARE ON THE THIRD LANDING, A RIGHT CROSS-WIND "GUST" PUSHED THE AIRPLANE TO THE LEFT. THE AIRPLANE FLOATED TO THE LEFT, OFF THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, AS THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT BY RAISING THE NOSE AND APPLYING RIGHT RUDDER. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND AND COLLAPSED, RESULTING IN THE AIRPLANE SKIDDING ACROSS A TAXIWAY. THE 148-HOUR PILOT DID NOT STATE THAT HE HAD ANY CROSS-WIND PROBLEMS DURING THE FIRST TWO TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS, NOR DID HE STATE THAT THERE WERE ANY MECHANICAL OR CONTROL PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRPLANE. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE BY AN FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE TAIL AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. AT 1623, THE REPORTED WINDS AT STINSON AIRPORT WERE FROM 140 DEGREES AT 9 KNOTS WITH NO GUSTS.

NTSB investigation

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