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20011021031689I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 172N · Pottsville, PA · October 21, 2001

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 21, 2001 · 14:15 local
Place
Pottsville, PA
Airport
Schuylkill Co/ Joe Zerbey Airport
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N8268E
Reported as
Cessna 172N
Pilot’s flight hours
107 total8 in this make and model41 in the last 90 days
N8268ERegistered now · Cessna 172NS/N 17272158 · Built 1979Airframe modelCessna 172NEngine modelLycoming 0-320 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.

(-23) Pilot initiated normal left hand pattern for runway 29 @ zer. Pilot stated final approach path to be above normal and selected touchdown point @ midfield in a left wing low maneuver to compensate for left crosswind. Gusting, crosswind conditions prevailed from the left at time of incident. Winds were estimated to be from the southwest at 10-20MPH, based on deflection of the existing windsock. During flare maneuver, aircraft drifted to the right with left main gear contacting runway surface, followed by right main gear. Pilot described main gear contact as a hard bounce. Aircraft then proceeded to pitch down and travel on the nose gear with a right wing down condition, resulting in ground strike to propeller and right wing tip. Aircraft proceeded off right edge of runway pavement and came to rest in turf adjacent to runway. Touchdown, ground strike of propeller/wing tip and final resting place occurred approximately 1100 to 1600 feet from approach threshold of runway 29. Pilot stated he chose runway 29, instead of intersecting turf runway 22 due to aircraft flying club insurance prohibition on use of turf runways. Turf runway 22 was oriented into prevailing winds and availablefor use.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT INITIATED NORMAL LEFT HAND PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 29 @ ZER. PILOT STATED FINAL APPROACH PATH TO BE ABOVE NORMAL AND SELECTED TOUCHDOWN POINT @ MIDFIELD IN A LEFT WING LOW MANEUVER TO COMPENSATE FOR LEFT CROSSWIND. GUSTING, CROSSWIND CONDITIONS PREVAILED FROM THE LEFT AT TIME OF INCIDENT. WINDS WERE ESTIMATED TO BE FROM THE SOUTHWEST AT 10-20MPH, BASED ON DEFLECTION OF THE EXISTING WINDSOCK. DURING FLARE MANEUVER, AIRCRAFT DRIFTED TO THE RIGHT WITH LEFT MAIN GEAR CONTACTING RUNWAY SURFACE, FOLLOWED BY RIGHT MAIN GEAR. PILOT DESCRIBED MAIN GEAR CONTACT AS A HARD BOUNCE. AIRCRAFT THEN PROCEEDED TO PITCH DOWN AND TRAVEL ON THE NOSE GEAR WITH A RIGHT WING DOWN CONDITION, RESULTING IN GROUND STRIKE TO PROPELLER AND RIGHT WING TIP. AIRCRAFT PROCEEDED OFF RIGHT EDGE OF RUNWAY PAVEMENT AND CAME TO REST IN TURF ADJACENT TO RUNWAY. TOUCHDOWN, GROUND STRIKE OF PROPELLER/WING TIP AND FINAL RESTING PLACE OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 1100 TO 1600 FEET FROM APPROACH THRESHOLD OF RUNWAY 29. PILOT STATED HE CHOSE RUNWAY 29, INSTEAD OF INTERSECTING TURF RUNWAY 22 DUE TO AIRCRAFT FLYING CLUB INSURANCE PROHIBITION ON USE OF TURF RUNWAYS. TURF RUNWAY 22 WAS ORIENTED INTO PREVAILING WINDS AND AVAILABLEFOR USE.