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20130317004709A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 172N · Gila Bend, AZ · March 17, 2013

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 17, 2013 · 11:40 local
Place
Gila Bend, AZ
Airport
Gila Bend Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
ULDS
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N5802J
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR13CA152
Reported as
Cessna 172N
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
41 total41 in this make and model23 in the last 90 days
N5802JRegistration cancelled Jan 4, 2018 · Cessna 172NS/N 17273839 · Built 1980Airframe 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.

privacy data omitted (Pilot) was on a cross country solo flight, as a student pilot, with a planned route of ktuc-E63-P08-ktuc. He filed a flight plan and received a weather briefing at lmfc fss prior to flight. Weather briefing and metars reported clear skies, 4 knot winds at 240 degrees, and no precipitation.

While attempting to land on runway 22 at Gila Bend Municipal Airport (E63), the aircraft veered to the left, striking a tree approximately 216 feet left of rwy centerline. At approximately 485 feet from rwy centerline, the left wing tip struck the ground. The aircraft went another 65 feet before the propeller hit the ground. The aircraft slid and came to rest 91 feet further.

Left and right wings, forward fuselage, engine, and instrument panel sustained substantial structural damage. Approximately four feet of the left wing?s leading edge, was deformed inward from the wing tip.

Additionally, multiple striation witness marks made to the left wing leading edge at the area of the deformation, showed where tree branches had come in contact with the wing.

The tree which the aircraft initially struck had obvious signs of damage. Some of the top limbs of the tree (approximately 20 to 25 feet high), were missing and/or stripped away. Multiple branches from the tree were littered on the ground. One large limb was in excess of two inches in diameter.

The pilot was interviewed and stated that the winds drifted him left as he was landing. He attempted a go-around when he came into contact with the tree. He also stated that there was nothing mechanically wrong with the airplane and that his flight training from the school was good.

As the FAA filed it

^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (PILOT) WAS ON A CROSS COUNTRY SOLO FLIGHT, AS A STUDENT PILOT, WITH A PLANNED ROUTE OF KTUC-E63-P08-KTUC. HE FILED A FLIGHT PLAN AND RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING AT LMFC FSS PRIOR TO FLIGHT. WEATHER BRIEFING AND METARS REPORTED CLEAR SKIES, 4 KNOT WINDS AT 240 DEGREES, AND NO PRECIPITATION.

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON RUNWAY 22 AT GILA BEND MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (E63), THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE LEFT, STRIKING A TREE APPROXIMATELY 216 FEET LEFT OF RWY CENTERLINE. AT APPROXIMATELY 485 FEET FROM RWY CENTERLINE, THE LEFT WING TIP STRUCK THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT WENT ANOTHER 65 FEET BEFORE THE PROPELLER HIT THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT SLID AND CAME TO REST 91 FEET FURTHER.

LEFT AND RIGHT WINGS, FORWARD FUSELAGE, ENGINE, AND INSTRUMENT PANEL SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. APPROXIMATELY FOUR FEET OF THE LEFT WING?S LEADING EDGE, WAS DEFORMED INWARD FROM THE WING TIP.

ADDITIONALLY, MULTIPLE STRIATION WITNESS MARKS MADE TO THE LEFT WING LEADING EDGE AT THE AREA OF THE DEFORMATION, SHOWED WHERE TREE BRANCHES HAD COME IN CONTACT WITH THE WING.

THE TREE WHICH THE AIRCRAFT INITIALLY STRUCK HAD OBVIOUS SIGNS OF DAMAGE. SOME OF THE TOP LIMBS OF THE TREE (APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 25 FEET HIGH), WERE MISSING AND/OR STRIPPED AWAY. MULTIPLE BRANCHES FROM THE TREE WERE LITTERED ON THE GROUND. ONE LARGE LIMB WAS IN EXCESS OF TWO INCHES IN DIAMETER.

THE PILOT WAS INTERVIEWED AND STATED THAT THE WINDS DRIFTED HIM LEFT AS HE WAS LANDING. HE ATTEMPTED A GO-AROUND WHEN HE CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THE TREE. HE ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING MECHANICALLY WRONG WITH THE AIRPLANE AND THAT HIS FLIGHT TRAINING FROM THE SCHOOL WAS GOOD.

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 WPR13CA152Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportGila Bend, AZThe student pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during an attempted go-around.Mar 17, 2013 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N5802J · 2

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

Incident 20040124000879ITo Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) · Shiprock, NM(-23) On January 24, 2004, at 1648 MST, a Cessna 172, N5802J, registered to durango air service, incorporated, collided with power lines on takeoff at the Shiprock Airstrip, Shiprock, new Mexico, while on a cross country flight. Visual meteorological…Jan 24, 2004 · Minor damageAccident 19830219004619AGo Round (Aborted VFR) · Durango, COEncountered severe gusty crosswind on landing. Struck the snow covered terrain on attempted go around. Nosed over.Feb 19, 1983 · Substantial damage