20210124009069I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 177RG · Martinsville, VA · January 24, 2021

Date
January 24, 2021 · 11:43 local
Place
Martinsville, VA
Airport
Blue Ridge
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N177DR
Reported as
Cessna 177RG
Reported engine
Lycoming I0360 SER A&C
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,450 total600 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

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.

Upon touchdown, airplane swerved and drifted to the right, and the left wing came up. Pilot required full left aileron and left rudder, yet still departed runway off right side. Pilot's assumption was a brake or wheel lock-up at touchdown. However investigation revealed no evidence of this. During review of weather, it was noted that despite excellent VMC weather with calm winds, AWOS reported 90-degree crosswind at 8 gusting to 14 during a single observation, which was reported 8 minutes after the mishap. Tis condition was not forecast in any preceding TAF. This wind condition could fully explain the behavior of the airplane.

As the FAA filed it

UPON TOUCHDOWN, AIRPLANE SWERVED AND DRIFTED TO THE RIGHT, AND THE LEFT WING CAME UP. PILOT REQUIRED FULL LEFT AILERON AND LEFT RUDDER, YET STILL DEPARTED RUNWAY OFF RIGHT SIDE. PILOT'S ASSUMPTION WAS A BRAKE OR WHEEL LOCK-UP AT TOUCHDOWN. HOWEVER INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF THIS. DURING REVIEW OF WEATHER, IT WAS NOTED THAT DESPITE EXCELLENT VMC WEATHER WITH CALM WINDS, AWOS REPORTED 90-DEGREE CROSSWIND AT 8 GUSTING TO 14 DURING A SINGLE OBSERVATION, WHICH WAS REPORTED 8 MINUTES AFTER THE MISHAP. TIS CONDITION WAS NOT FORECAST IN ANY PRECEDING TAF. THIS WIND CONDITION COULD FULLY EXPLAIN THE BEHAVIOR OF THE AIRPLANE.