- Date
- June 14, 2012, 17:29 local (22:29 UTC)
- Place
- Alpine, TX
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4630FCessna TP206A
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 13, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Lubbock FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120614012279A
- Case key
- 83979
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 directional control during the landing roll in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion.
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
The pilot reported that during the landing roll a strong gust of wind caused the airplane to veer to the right. The pilot’s efforts to correct the veer were unsuccessful, and the airplane exited the right side of the runway. The airplane impacted a ditch, which resulted in substantial damage to the nose gear, the lower fuselage, empennage, and right wing. There were no preaccident anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the landing roll, with all three landing gear on the runway he perceived that a strong gust of wind started to veer the airplane to the right. The pilot’s efforts to correct the veer were unsuccessful, directional control was lost, and the airplane exited the right side of the runway. The airplane impacted a ditch which collapsed the nose gear and the right wing impacted terrain. The airplane’s lower fuselage, empennage, and right wing were substantially damaged during the accident. Wind conditions at the time of the accident were 190 degrees at 19 knots gust 22 knots. There were no preaccident anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4630F
- Reported as
- Cessna TP206A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- P206-0230
- Airframe hours
- 6,808
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Utah State University
- Registered owner
- Utah State University
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 18, 2012 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- 89TE · Lajitas, TX
- Destination
- E38 · Alpine, TX
- Airport
- E38 · Alpine-Casparis Municipal, runway 19, 6,002 × 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 36
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 20, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 618 total · 35 in this make and model · 529 as pilot in command · 102 in the last 90 days · 31 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Other flight crew
- Age
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 262 total · 0 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 19 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 99 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KE38
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 12, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 736 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.