- Date
- October 14, 2011, 16:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Ozark, MO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N54356Cessna 172P
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing area undershoot
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 13, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration, Kansas City FSDO
- FAA report
- 20111014024449A
- Case key
- 82082
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 inadequate compensation for gusty crosswind conditions while on approach.
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 reported that she made two landing approaches to the north, but each attempt resulted in a go-around because she was unable to maintain runway alignment due to a strong crosswind. The pilot decided to make the next approach to the south. She stated that while on final approach the airplane suddenly lost altitude, collided with terrain short of the runway, and nosed over. The airplane's engine firewall, vertical stabilizer, and right wing were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded the normal operation of the airplane. A witness located at the airport reported that the wind was out of the west at 16 knots. A review of nearby weather stations indicated that the wind was variable from the south-to-northwest between 5 and 9 knots, gusting to 16 knots.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that she made two landing approaches to runway 36, but each attempt resulted in a go-around because she was unable to maintain runway alignment due to a strong crosswind. The pilot decided to make the next approach to runway 18. She stated that while on final approach the airplane suddenly lost altitude and collided with terrain short of the runway and subsequently nosed-over. The airplane's engine firewall, vertical stabilizer, and right wing were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded the normal operation of the airplane. A witness located at the airport reported that the wind was out of the west at 16 knots. A review of nearby weather stations indicated that the wind was variable from the south-to-northwest between 5 and 9 knots, gusting to 16 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N54356
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17274961
- Airframe hours
- 6,844
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 3, 2010
- Departed
- KSGF · Springfield, MO
- Destination
- 18MO · Ozark, MO
- Airport
- 18MO · Gimlin Airport, runway 18, 2,600 × 60 ft, grass/turf
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
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 28, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 337 total · 330 in this make and model · 2 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 9 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KSGF, 19 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 31, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 808 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.