# Accident 20200329003169A: Cessna 172N, Sedona, AZ, March 29, 2020 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: March 29, 2020, 12:10 local time - Place: Sedona, AZ - Airport: Sedona - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 34.8489° N, 111.7880° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.8489&lon=-111.7880&mi=10 - Aircraft: N172FG, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N172FG) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 172N (registry code 2072434, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172n) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172N - Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 1 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 124 total, 4 in this make and model, 44 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR20LA115](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR20LA115) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200329003169A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON 29 MARCH 2020 AT ABOUT 1142AM AZ TIME. A CESSNA 172-N MODEL, TAIL N172FG, AFTER TOUCH DOWN ON RUNWAY 21 AT SEZ SEDONA AIRPORT, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A CROSS WIND LANDING THAT INDUCED A SIDE LOAD ON THE NOSE LANDING GEAR CAUSING THE GEAR TO FAIL DUE TO OVERSTRESS CONDITIONS AS SHOWN FROM THE WAY THE METAL OF THE NOSE GEAR FORK WAS BENT TOWARDS ONE SIDE OF THE NOSE GEAR TIRE AND AWAY FROM THE TIRE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FORK. THE BOTTOM OF THE NOSE GEAR FORK SNAPPED OFF DURING THE ACCIDENT SETTLING AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT. AS A RESULT THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE LEFT AND FLIPPED OVER IN DITCH EMBANKMENT TO THE LEFT OF RUNWAY 21. TWO PEOPLE WERE ON BOARD, ONE FLIGHT CREW MEMBER THAT WAS NOT INJURED AND ONE PASSENGER WHO WAS REPORTED TO RECEIVE MINOR INJURIES IN THE NATURE OF SCRATCHES AND BRUISES. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE NOSE GEAR AND FIREWALL, ALSO MULTIPLE DENTS, BENDS, AND SCRATCHES TO THE TOP OF THE UPPER WING SURFACE OF DUE TO THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPING OVER AND SETTLING ON ITS TOP WING. THE WING STRUTS AND UPPER VERTICAL TAIL SURFACES WERE DAMAGED AND TAIL FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES INCLUDING THE AREA WHERE THE TAIL CONNECTS UP TO THE REAR FUSELAGE EXPERIENCED BENT METAL AND COMPRESSIONS ALL THE WAY AROUND FUSELAGE TAIL SECTION. FLAPS WERE NOTED TO BE IN THE FULL RETRACTED POSITION WITH THE FLAPS HANDLE IN THE UP POSITION IN THE ZERO DEGREE POSITION. THE PROPELLER WAS BENT DURING THE ACCIDENT BUT DOES NOT SHOW RESULTS OF BEING UNDER POWER AT THE TIME IMPACT. THREE TRACK WAYS LEAVING THE PAVEMENT WERE NOTED AS PATHWAYS WHERE THE TIRES ROLLED AND/OR SLID THROUGH THE GRASS AROUND 30 FEET FROM THE RUNWAY BEFORE A MUCH LARGER GROUND SCAR WAS IDENTIFIED WHERE IT LOOKS TO BE THE POINT WHERE THE NOSE GEAR LOWER FORK AND TIRE SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT, LEAVING THE NOSE GEAR STRUT DRAGGING ON THE GROUND CAUSING A MUCH LARGER GROUND SCAR, IN WHICH THE FORCES AND STRESS AT PLAY CAUSED THE NOSE GEAR TO BE FORCE UPWARD AND BACK INTO THE BELLY OF THE AIRCRAFT RESULTING IN THE FIREWALL DAMAGE. MULTIPLE STATEMENTS WERE TAKEN FROM THE PEOPLE INVOLVED BOTH VERBAL AND WRITTEN WHICH DIDN?T MATCH TOGETHER. THE NOTION WAS CLAIMED THE NOSE GEAR STRUT WAS UNAIRWORTHY AND THIS PART WAS CONFISCATED TO BE HELD BY DIRECTION OF THE NTSB FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS AT A METALLURGIST LABORATORY. THROUGH THE RECORDS OF THE AIRCRAFT IT WAS NOTED THAT ALL ADS PERTAINING TO THE NOSE GEAR WERE PROPERLY PERFORMED AS REQUIRED, AND THAT THE PART NUMBER OF THE INSTALLED NOSE GEAR STRUT 0543043-498 WAS NOT REQUIRED TO BE CHANGED AS PER AD 71-22-02 R1 IN WHICH THE NOTION WAS CLAIMED BY THE PILOT. LAB RESULTS PENDING FROM THE NTSB. IT IS DETERMINED DUE TO THE NATURE OF THIS ACCIDENT 5 ADDITIONAL HOURS HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED TO THE PILOT TO COVER LANDINGS IN WHICH THE PILOT AGREED AND TOOK AN ADDITIONAL 20 HOURS OF FLIGHT TRAINING WITH A CFII WHICH ALSO COVERED LANDINGS AS SHE IS CURRENTLY WORKING TOWARDS HER INSTRUMENT RATING. ## 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 WPR20LA115](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR20LA115), Mar 29, 2020: Cessna 172 (N172FG), Sedona, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s loss of pitch control while landing in crosswind conditions, which resulted in a collapsed nose gear and departure of the airplane from the runway. 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.