- Date
- April 1, 2011, 14:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- San Antonio, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N79286Cessna 172K
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 11, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20110401007539A
- Case key
- 78735
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 student pilot's inadequate compensation for wind while landing in gusty wind conditions.
Findings · 1
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 student pilot lost directional control of the airplane while landing in gusty wind conditions. The airplane bounced, and touched back down in the grass alongside of the runway, before the left wing impacted a tree. The airplane’s wings and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The closest weather reporting station was located 15 nautical miles to the southeast of the accident site. Twenty minutes before the accident, the reported wind was from 190 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 18 knots. The student pilot further reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
Factual narrative
Following a solo cross-country flight, the student pilot lost directional control of the airplane while landing on runway 17 in gusty wind conditions. The airplane bounced, and touched back down in the grass alongside of the runway, before the left wing impacted a tree. The airplane's wings and fuselage sustained substantial damage during the accident. The closest weather reporting station was located 15 nautical miles to the southeast of the accident site. Twenty minutes before the accident, the winds were reported from 190 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 18 knots. The student pilot reported the winds at the time of the accident to be from 200 degrees at 11 knots gusting to 16 knots. The student pilot further reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N79286
- Reported as
- Cessna 172K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17258023
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Alamo Aerodyne Inc
- Registered owner
- Alamo Aerodyne Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 5C1 · Boerne, TX
- Destination
- 8T8 · San Antonio, TX
- Airport
- 8T8 · San Geronimo Airpark, runway 17, 3,000 × 40 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 22
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 14 total · 14 in this make and model · 12 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.79 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 15, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 620 KB 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.
Other investigations on N79286 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.