- Date
- August 18, 2011, 12:32 local (17:32 UTC)
- Place
- Winnsboro, LA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3209ECessna 172N
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 3, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20110818017059A
- Case key
- 81535
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 aircraft control during takeoff with a gusting crosswind.
Findings · 4
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 stated that while taking off after performing a touch-and-go landing, a right gusting crosswind caused the airplane to drift to the left, causing the left wingtip to strike a tree limb at the runway boundary. The airplane impacted the runway shoulder, causing substantial damage to the vertical and horizontal stabilizers and firewall.
Factual narrative
**This report was modified on 10/31/2011. Please see the public docket for this accident to view the original report." The pilot stated he intended to make a touch-and-go landing. A right crosswind caused the airplane to drift to the left, and the left wingtip struck a tree limb at the runway boundary right-of-way. The airplane impacted the runway shoulder, causing substantial damage to the vertical and horizontal stabilizers, nose gear, and firewall.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3209E
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17271469
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Monroe Air Center LLC
- Registered owner
- Monroe Air Center LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- MLU · Monroe, LA
- Destination
- MLU · Monroe, LA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- KF89 · Winnsboro Municipal, runway 36, 3,000 × 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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 54 total · 54 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 99 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- KMLU, 27 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 30, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 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.