- Date
- November 15, 2010, 15:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- San Antonio, TX
- Injuries
- 3 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7183GCessna 172K
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 16, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office, Cessna Aircraft Company
- FAA report
- 20101115052699A
- Case key
- 77826
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, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to land with a tailwind.
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
According to several witnesses, the pilot was attempting to land with a tailwind. According to the pilot, he was trying to land when the wind became very strong and swirling. The pilot attempted to go around when the wing stalled. The airplane impacted several trees and came to rest inverted, resulting in substantial damage. An examination of the airframe and its systems revealed no anomalies. The closest weather observation station recorded wind from 190 degrees at 10 knots.
Factual narrative
On November 15, 2010, approximately 1545 central standard time, a Cessna 172K, N7183G, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees near Kestrel Airpark (1T7), San Antonio, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. The private pilot and two passengers were seriously injured. The cross-country flight departed Kerrville, Texas, and was en route to 1T7. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who traveled to the accident scene, the flight had departed 1T7 that morning, flew to Kerrville for lunch, and was returning to 1T7 when the accident occurred. Witnesses reported that the airplane was attempting to land with a tailwind to runway 30 (3,000 feet by 40 feet, asphalt). The airplane flew an approach to the runway and as the airplane continued towards the departure end of the runway it leveled off. The airplane impacted trees at the departure end of the runway bending both wings and crushing the fuselage. According to the written statement submitted by the pilot, he was trying to land when the wind became very strong and swirling. The pilot attempted to go around when the "wing stalled." The airplane impacted several trees and came to rest inverted. An examination of the airframe and its systems, conducted by an investigator from Cessna Aircraft and an inspector from the FAA, revealed no anomalies. The closest weather observation station recorded winds at 190 degrees at 10 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7183G
- Reported as
- Cessna 172K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17258883
- Airframe hours
- 7,974
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 7, 2010
- Departed
- KERV · Kerrville, TX
- Destination
- 1T7 · San Antonio, TX
- Airport
- 1T7 · Kestrel Airpark, runway 30, 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 73
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Last flight review
- December 29, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,950 total · 2,500 in this make and model · 3,950 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.60 inHg
- Observed at
- KSAT, 17 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 4, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 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.