What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The student pilot (PIC) departed kfcm, after switching aircraft two times,with a destination of kmgg for the purpose of taking a private pilot practical test. The winds at the destination airport at the time of the accident were 190@5G17. When the PIC departed kfcm, the latest METAR for kmgg was 190@9G14. Upon approaching the kmgg airport, a Mooney was in the traffic pattern for runway 10 for a full stop landing. The PIC would have preferred to use runway 28, but joined the pattern for runway 10 along with the Mooney. Either runway was a direct 90° crosswind. The PIC noticed a strong crosswind while on base leg for runway 10. The PIC applied right crosswind correction by tipping the right wing down and adding left rudder but was unable to maintain centerline, so elected to conduct a go-around. During the second landing attempt, the PIC used the same crosswind technique and was startled by a change in wind speed/direction as the airplane “dipped steeply to the right”. The PIC corrected and believed to be on centerline as the approach continued. Upon touchdown, the aircraft had drifted to the left of centerline in a skid where the PIC was unable to regain control and struck a snowbank on the left side of the runway resulting in a nose gear collapse and engine mount damage.
As the FAA filed it
THE STUDENT PILOT (PIC) DEPARTED KFCM, AFTER SWITCHING AIRCRAFT TWO TIMES,WITH A DESTINATION OF KMGG FOR THE PURPOSE OF TAKING A PRIVATE PILOT PRACTICAL TEST. THE WINDS AT THE DESTINATION AIRPORT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE 190@5G17. WHEN THE PIC DEPARTED KFCM, THE LATEST METAR FOR KMGG WAS 190@9G14. UPON APPROACHING THE KMGG AIRPORT, A MOONEY WAS IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 10 FOR A FULL STOP LANDING. THE PIC WOULD HAVE PREFERRED TO USE RUNWAY 28, BUT JOINED THE PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 10 ALONG WITH THE MOONEY. EITHER RUNWAY WAS A DIRECT 90° CROSSWIND. THE PIC NOTICED A STRONG CROSSWIND WHILE ON BASE LEG FOR RUNWAY 10. THE PIC APPLIED RIGHT CROSSWIND CORRECTION BY TIPPING THE RIGHT WING DOWN AND ADDING LEFT RUDDER BUT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CENTERLINE, SO ELECTED TO CONDUCT A GO-AROUND. DURING THE SECOND LANDING ATTEMPT, THE PIC USED THE SAME CROSSWIND TECHNIQUE AND WAS STARTLED BY A CHANGE IN WIND SPEED/DIRECTION AS THE AIRPLANE “DIPPED STEEPLY TO THE RIGHT”. THE PIC CORRECTED AND BELIEVED TO BE ON CENTERLINE AS THE APPROACH CONTINUED. UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT HAD DRIFTED TO THE LEFT OF CENTERLINE IN A SKID WHERE THE PIC WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL AND STRUCK A SNOWBANK ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY RESULTING IN A NOSE GEAR COLLAPSE AND ENGINE MOUNT DAMAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.