- Date
- January 5, 2014, 16:40 local (22:40 UTC)
- Place
- Cotulla, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N55277Cessna 172P
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 13, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20140105000819A
- Case key
- 88639
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 did not maintain control of the airplane while landing. The flight instructor's failure to monitor the flight contributed to the accident.
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
During the landing flare to runway 31, the airplane was "pushed to the left" by a "sudden gust of wind". The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. Both wings, the vertical stabilizer, and the rudder were substantially damaged. The flight instructor stated that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The flight instructor and the student pilot both reported that the wind was 330 degrees at 14 knots, gusting to 21 knots. The official weather observation, recorded at 1553, reported the wind as 340 degrees at 14 knots. The observation, recorded at 1553, reported the wind as 010 degrees at 12 knots.
Factual narrative
During the landing flare to runway 31, the airplane was "pushed to the left" by a "sudden gust of wind". The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. Both wings, the vertical stabilizer, and the rudder were substantially damaged. The flight instructor stated that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The flight instructor and the student pilot both reported that the wind was 330 degrees at 14 knots, gusting to 21 knots. The official weather observation, recorded at 1553, reported the wind as 340 degrees at 14 knots. The observation, recorded at 1553, reported the wind as 010 degrees at 12 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N55277
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P (P)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17275150
- Built
- 1981
- Airframe hours
- 9,180
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320 SERIES, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Alphatango Flying Services
- Registered owner
- Laguna Verde Leasing Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 12, 2013
- Departed
- KCVB · Castroville, TX
- Destination
- KCOT · Cotulla, TX
- Airport
- KCOT · Cotulla-La Salle County Airpor, runway 31, 5,005 × 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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 29
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 381 total · 142 in this make and model · 238 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 28 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 18
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 19 total · 10 in this make and model · 19 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- KCOT
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 6, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 458 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 N55277 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.