- Date
- February 26, 2009, 10:40 local (17:40 UTC)
- Place
- Broomfield, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N737KRCessna 172N
- Defining event
- Taxi-to runway: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 12, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration, FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090226001569A
- Case key
- 73411
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot and airplane's inability to compensate for the unforecasted gusting wind conditions.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was taxiing into position for takeoff when a wind gust, reported by the tower, of 52 knots lifted the right wing of the airplane. The right wing continued to rotate the aircraft and move it to the left on the ramp. The pilot attempted to maintain control but was unsuccessful and the aircraft rolled inverted. The pilot was able to egress unassisted and was not injured. Weather forecast at the 40 minutes prior to the accident indicated forecast winds 250 degrees at 15 knots. At 7 minutes after the accident the updated weather observation showed winds from 260 degrees at 38 knots with gusts to 52 knots.
Factual narrative
The pilot was taxiing into position for takeoff when a wind gust, reported by the tower, of 52 knots lifted the right wing of the airplane. The right wing continued to rotate the aircraft and move it to the left on the ramp. The pilot attempted to maintain control, but was unsuccessful and the aircraft rolled inverted. The pilot was able to egress unassisted and was not injured. Weather forecast at the 40 minutes prior to the accident indicated forecast winds 250 degrees at 15 knots. At 7 minutes after the accident the updated weather observation showed winds from 260 degrees at 38 knots with gusts to 52 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N737KR
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17269481
- Airframe hours
- 5,345
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Alliance Flight Training, LLC
- Registered owner
- Ftg Leasing LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 23, 2009
- Departed
- KBJC · Broomfield, CO
- Destination
- KFTG · Watkins, CO
- Airport
- KBJC · Rocky Mountain Metropolitan
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 5, 2007
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 22,770 total · 1,200 in this make and model · 21 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 38 knots, gusting 52
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KBJC
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.