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20201211017679A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 172M · Dexter, ME · December 11, 2020

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 11, 2020 · 12:30 local
Place
Dexter, ME
Airport
Dexter Regional Airport
Phase of flight
Landing: Rollout
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N19801
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA21LA074
Reported as
Cessna 172M
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
43 total14 in this make and model14 in the last 90 days
N19801Registered now · Cessna 172MS/N 17260764 · Built 1972Airframe modelCessna 172MEngine 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.

As stated by the pilot. He completed a preflight of the aircraft at 1BO Dexter, Maine intending to practice take offs, landings and pattern work at this airfield. The weather was clear with mild conditions. The pilot performed an engine runup and took off from runway 16 remaining in the pattern and completing 2 takeoff and landings without incident. On the 3rd flight the pilot noticed the air felt bumpy. On final at 65-70 KTS with full flaps the aircraft was aligned with the runway centerline. As aircraft was about to contact the runway, a wind gust from the right caused the aircraft to drift left as it touched down. The pilots attempt to correct with right rudder during rollout was unsuccessful and the left main wheel contacted the snowbank. This caused the aircraft to rotate to the left. As the nose wheel entered the snowbank the aircrafts momentum lifted the tail, causing one propeller blade and the right wingtip to impact the ground. The aircraft continued to nose over coming to rest in an inverted position atop the snowbank. Substantial damage was sustained to the propeller, both wings, the top of the vertical tail fin and rudder. The engine cowling received minor damage. No indication of fuel spill was evident at crash site and the aircraft tanks contained fuel.

As the FAA filed it

AS STATED BY THE PILOT. HE COMPLETED A PREFLIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT AT 1BO DEXTER, MAINE INTENDING TO PRACTICE TAKE OFFS, LANDINGS AND PATTERN WORK AT THIS AIRFIELD. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR WITH MILD CONDITIONS. THE PILOT PERFORMED AN ENGINE RUNUP AND TOOK OFF FROM RUNWAY 16 REMAINING IN THE PATTERN AND COMPLETING 2 TAKEOFF AND LANDINGS WITHOUT INCIDENT. ON THE 3RD FLIGHT THE PILOT NOTICED THE AIR FELT BUMPY. ON FINAL AT 65-70 KTS WITH FULL FLAPS THE AIRCRAFT WAS ALIGNED WITH THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE. AS AIRCRAFT WAS ABOUT TO CONTACT THE RUNWAY, A WIND GUST FROM THE RIGHT CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO DRIFT LEFT AS IT TOUCHED DOWN. THE PILOTS ATTEMPT TO CORRECT WITH RIGHT RUDDER DURING ROLLOUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL AND THE LEFT MAIN WHEEL CONTACTED THE SNOWBANK. THIS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO ROTATE TO THE LEFT. AS THE NOSE WHEEL ENTERED THE SNOWBANK THE AIRCRAFTS MOMENTUM LIFTED THE TAIL, CAUSING ONE PROPELLER BLADE AND THE RIGHT WINGTIP TO IMPACT THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO NOSE OVER COMING TO REST IN AN INVERTED POSITION ATOP THE SNOWBANK. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED TO THE PROPELLER, BOTH WINGS, THE TOP OF THE VERTICAL TAIL FIN AND RUDDER. THE ENGINE COWLING RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE. NO INDICATION OF FUEL SPILL WAS EVIDENT AT CRASH SITE AND THE AIRCRAFT TANKS CONTAINED FUEL.

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 ERA21LA074Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportDexter, METhe pilot’s loss of directional control while landing, which resulted in an encounter with snow and subsequent nose over.Dec 11, 2020 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N19801 · 1

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

Accident 19920609019099ARoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Dexter, METop nose gear torque link fell out. Allowed strut extend fluid air leak out. Flat strut cocked nosewheel on landingJun 9, 1992 · Substantial damage