What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
When: February 19, 2023 at 1510Z
Where: Moline, IL
A student pilot was operating a Cessna 172K, privacy data omitted, departing from Quad Cities international airport (kmli) on a local solo flight. There were no passengers on board. The flight was conducted in visual meteorological conditions (VMC) and using visual flight rules (VFR). The nearest automatic terminal information service (ATIS) reported windy conditions and clear skies, kmli 191452Z 23015G21KT 10SM clr 07/M03 A2982 rmk AO2 SLP102 T00671028. The nearest terminal area forecast (TAF) projected windy conditions to persist through 1900Z, TAF kmli 191120Z 1912/2012 21012G20KT P6SM SCT120 FM191900 27013KT P6SM SCT250. A notice to air missions (NOTAM) was issued indicating runway 23 was closed due to snow cover.
The pilot in command (PIC) departed with the intention of practicing maneuvers in the local area. The PIC received a standard weather briefing via foreflight. He noted that current conditions indicated winds were southwesterly at 10 knots. The PIC did not evaluate forecast conditions. Prior to departure, the PIC stated that the ATIS reported southwesterly winds at 14 knots. After departure, the PIC stated the wind continued to increase with the ATIS reporting southwesterly winds at 16 knots gusting to 27 knots. The PIC made the decision to return to the airport for landing due to increasing winds. The PIC was cleared to land on runway 27. The PIC configured the aircraft with full flaps and conducted a normal landing. The PIC applied left aileron and right rudder to combat the left crosswind. He touched down on the left wheel first, then the right wheel, followed by the nose wheel. After touchdown, the PIC relaxed the crosswind correction and returned the ailerons to the neutral position. Upon rolling out, the PIC felt a gust of wind elevating the left wing, causing the aircraft to veer to the right. The PIC attempted to apply brakes and the aircraft veered harder to the right, off the runway surface and into the grass on the north side of the runway. The aircraft impacted a runway location sign, incurring substantial damage. The pilot was uninjured.
As the FAA filed it
WHEN: FEBRUARY 19, 2023 AT 1510Z
WHERE: MOLINE, IL
A STUDENT PILOT WAS OPERATING A CESSNA 172K, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, DEPARTING FROM QUAD CITIES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KMLI) ON A LOCAL SOLO FLIGHT. THERE WERE NO PASSENGERS ON BOARD. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC) AND USING VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR). THE NEAREST AUTOMATIC TERMINAL INFORMATION SERVICE (ATIS) REPORTED WINDY CONDITIONS AND CLEAR SKIES, KMLI 191452Z 23015G21KT 10SM CLR 07/M03 A2982 RMK AO2 SLP102 T00671028. THE NEAREST TERMINAL AREA FORECAST (TAF) PROJECTED WINDY CONDITIONS TO PERSIST THROUGH 1900Z, TAF KMLI 191120Z 1912/2012 21012G20KT P6SM SCT120 FM191900 27013KT P6SM SCT250. A NOTICE TO AIR MISSIONS (NOTAM) WAS ISSUED INDICATING RUNWAY 23 WAS CLOSED DUE TO SNOW COVER.
THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) DEPARTED WITH THE INTENTION OF PRACTICING MANEUVERS IN THE LOCAL AREA. THE PIC RECEIVED A STANDARD WEATHER BRIEFING VIA FOREFLIGHT. HE NOTED THAT CURRENT CONDITIONS INDICATED WINDS WERE SOUTHWESTERLY AT 10 KNOTS. THE PIC DID NOT EVALUATE FORECAST CONDITIONS. PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, THE PIC STATED THAT THE ATIS REPORTED SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS AT 14 KNOTS. AFTER DEPARTURE, THE PIC STATED THE WIND CONTINUED TO INCREASE WITH THE ATIS REPORTING SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS AT 16 KNOTS GUSTING TO 27 KNOTS. THE PIC MADE THE DECISION TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT FOR LANDING DUE TO INCREASING WINDS. THE PIC WAS CLEARED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 27. THE PIC CONFIGURED THE AIRCRAFT WITH FULL FLAPS AND CONDUCTED A NORMAL LANDING. THE PIC APPLIED LEFT AILERON AND RIGHT RUDDER TO COMBAT THE LEFT CROSSWIND. HE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE LEFT WHEEL FIRST, THEN THE RIGHT WHEEL, FOLLOWED BY THE NOSE WHEEL. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE PIC RELAXED THE CROSSWIND CORRECTION AND RETURNED THE AILERONS TO THE NEUTRAL POSITION. UPON ROLLING OUT, THE PIC FELT A GUST OF WIND ELEVATING THE LEFT WING, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO VEER TO THE RIGHT. THE PIC ATTEMPTED TO APPLY BRAKES AND THE AIRCRAFT VEERED HARDER TO THE RIGHT, OFF THE RUNWAY SURFACE AND INTO THE GRASS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A RUNWAY LOCATION SIGN, INCURRING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT WAS UNINJURED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.