# Accident 20020115000329A: Cessna 172M, Iraan, TX, January 15, 2002 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: January 15, 2002, 14:50 local time - Place: Iraan, TX - Airport: Iraan Municipal Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 30.9056° N, 101.8919° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.9056&lon=-101.8919&mi=10 - Aircraft: N509R, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N509R-2013-12-12) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 172M (registry code 2072418, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172m) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172M - Reported engine: LYC O320E2D - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 350 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW02LA067](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA067) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020115000329A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) ON JANUARY 15, 2002, AT 1450 CST, CESSNA 172M, N509R, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AFTER OVER-SHOOTING RUNWAY 32 WHILE LANDING AT THE AIRPORT IN IRAAN, TEXAS (2F0). THE AIRCRAFT HAD JUST BEEN PURCHASED BY THE PILOT AND WAS BEING RELOCATED FROM NEW BRUNSFELS, TEXAS (KBAZ) TO THE PILOT'S HOME IN CALIFORNIA. THE PILOT STATED HE HAD DIFFICULTY FINDING THE WINDSOCK AND INADVERTENTLY LANDED ON RUNWAY 32 WITH A QUARTERING TAILWIND IN EXCESS OF 15 KTS. THE AIRCRAFT LEFT THE END OF THE RUNWAY, PROCEEDED THROUGH A BARB-WIRE FENCE, CROSSED 2ND STREET IN IRAAN, AND CAME TO REST AFTER STRIKING A PIPE TRAILER IN AN INDUSTRIAL YARD OWNED BY KEY ENERGY CORP. THE RIGHT TAILLIGHT OF THE TRAILER WAS BROKEN AND IT APPEARED THE TRAILER WAS MOVED APPROXIMATELY FIVE FEET FORWARD BY THE IMPACT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE NOSE GEAR, FIREWALL, AND LEFT WING TIP. (.4) ON JANUARY 15, 2002, AT 1450 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 172 AIRPLANE, N509R, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FOLLOWING A LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WHILE LANDING AT THE IRAAN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, IRAAN, TEXAS. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM NEW BRAUNFELS, TEXAS, AT 1145, WITH IRAAN AS AN INTERMEDIATE REFUELING STOP. THE FLIGHT'S FINAL DESTINATION WAS UNION CITY, CALIFORNIA. ON THE NTSB PILOT/OPERATOR AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT, AND DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE, THE COMMERCIAL PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD DIFFICULTY LOCATING THE WINDSOCK AS HE OVERFLEW THE AIRPORT AND "ASSUMED" THE AIRPORT "HAD NONE THAT DAY." THE PILOT CHOOSE RUNWAY 32, BASED ON THE WINDS ALOFT HE HAD RECEIVED EARLIER THAT MORNING, "ASSUMING" A 50 - 60 DEGREE CROSSWIND OF APPROXIMATELY 5 - 7 KNOTS. THE PILOT ABORTED HIS FIRST TWO APPROACHES "BECAUSE (HE) WAS TOO FAR UP THE RUNWAY." ON THE THIRD APPROACH, THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY ONE-THIRD OF THE WAY DOWN THE 4,085-FOOT LONG, 60-FOOT WIDE RUNWAY. HALFWAY DOWN THE RUNWAY, WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS "SOLIDLY DOWN," THE PILOT RAISED THE FLAPS AND APPLIED "HEAVY" BRAKING. THE AIRPLANE THEN VEERED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, THROUGH A BARBED WIRE FENCE, A SHALLOW WET DITCH, OVER A PAVED ROAD, AND INTO A BUSINESS YARD, WHERE IT IMPACTED A PIPE TRAILER, BEFORE COMING TO REST IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION. THE 400-HOUR PILOT REPORTED THAT HE LANDED WITH A 15 KNOT TAIL WIND. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE WINDS WERE REPORTED TO BE FROM 120 DEGREES AT 12 TO 15 KNOTS. THE PILOT ADDED THAT MOST OF HIS FLYING EXPERIENCE HAD BEEN IN PIPER LOW WING AIRPLANES. HE SAID HE FELT THE CESSNA, A HIGH WING AIRPLANE, "FLOATED" MORE THAN THE PIPER. HE ALSO SAID HE FELT HIS LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN HIGH WING AIRPLANES WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT REPORTED HAVING ACCUMULATED A TOTAL OF 7 HOURS IN THE CESSNA 172. AN FAA INSPECTOR, WHO TRAVELED TO THE ACCIDENT SCENE, REPORTED DAMAGE TO THE LEFT OUTBOARD WING TIP, AND STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE NOSE GEAR AND ENGINE FIREWALL. ## 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 FTW02LA067](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA067), Jan 15, 2002: Cessna 172 (N509R), Iraan, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing roll. Contributing factors were the pilot's selection of a downwind runway for landing, the tail wind condition, and his lack of… ## Other reports on N509R (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20120929022869I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120929022869I), Sep 29, 2012: Cessna 172M (N509R), Fort Stockton, TX, Minor damage. On September 29, 2012 at approximately 12:40 CDT, N509R a Cessna 172, impacted the runway at Fort Stockton-pecos county airport (kfst) located in Fort… - [Accident 19851220065139A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19851220065139A), Dec 20, 1985: Cessna 172M (N509R), Andalusia, AL, Substantial damage. Pilot hand propped aircraft with non pilot at controls. Engine started,aircraft struck tree and nosed into a ditch. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.