- Date
- June 27, 2009, 11:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Usafa, CO
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N52298Cessna 172P
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20090627013189A
- Case key
- 74352
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's failure to maintain a safe flying airspeed resulting in an inadvertent stall during the go-around.
Findings · 3
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 airplane was landing at the destination airport in gusty wind conditions. The commercial pilot reported that the wind was aligned predominately down the runway with gusts approximately 10 knots above the steady state winds. When in the flare to land, the airplane would not settle to the runway normally. The pilot held the landing attitude and waited for the airplane to touch down. When the airplane floated past the pilot's planned touchdown zone, the pilot initiated a go-around. When the pilot selected full throttle and set a pitch attitude for the climb out, the airplane's stall warning horn came on. The pilot lowered the pitch and retracted wing flaps from 40 degrees to approximately 20 degrees. The airplane stalled, and the left wing and propeller contacted the runway. The airplane departed the left side of the runway and came to rest in an upright position. An examination of the airplane following the accident revealed that the left wing near the wing tip was bent upward and the firewall was buckled.
Factual narrative
The airplane was landing at the destination airport in gusty wind conditions. The commercial pilot reported that wind was aligned predominately down the runway with gusts approximately 10 knots above the steady state winds. When in the flare to land, the airplane would not settle to the runway normally. The pilot held the landing attitude and waited for the airplane to touch down. When the airplane floated past the pilot's planned touchdown zone, the pilot initiated a go-around. When the pilot selected full throttle and set a pitch attitude for the climb out, the airplane's stall warning horn came on. The pilot lowered the pitch and retracted wing flaps from 40 degrees to approximately 20 degrees. The airplane stalled, and the left wing and propeller contacted the runway. The airplane departed the left side of the runway and came to rest in an upright position. An examination of the airplane following the accident revealed that the left wing near the wing tip was bent upward and the firewall was buckled.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N52298
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17274489
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- USAFA Aero Club
- Registered owner
- Nielsen Martin L
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Usafa, CO
- Destination
- Usafa, CO
- Airport
- KAFF · USAF Academy Airfield, runway 16L, 3,500 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 34
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Military
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 26, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,519 total · 3 in this make and model · 1,389 as pilot in command · 27 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 5 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 50 °F
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 7, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.