- Date
- January 25, 2014, 16:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Boulder, CO
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N738LQCessna 172N
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Turbulence encounter
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 13, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20140125001999A
- Case key
- 88722
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 airplane control during final approach with known turbulence present.
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 flew a round robin cross-country flight to practice touch and go landings at nearby airports. At one airport, he aborted the landing due to "moderate to severe turbulence on final." During the approach to the destination airport, he aborted his first approach due to strong winds and turbulence and decided to go around. During his second approach, the airplane lost about 200 feet of altitude following a downdraft. The pilot applied full throttle to gain airspeed. A wind gust lifted the airplane's right wing and the pilot applied full right aileron. The airplane's left wing, the left main landing gear, and the nose landing gear impacted terrain where the airplane skidded for 100 to 150 feet and sustained substantial wing damage. Subsequent to the accident, the pilot became aware of the airport/facility directory remarks for turbulence associated with the selected runway. Additionally, he reported that the airplane did not have any mechanical malfunctions during the accident flight.
Factual narrative
The pilot flew a round robin cross-country flight to practice touch and go landings at nearby airports. At one airport, he aborted the landing due to "moderate to severe turbulence on final." During the approach to the destination airport, he aborted his first approach due to strong winds and turbulence and decided to go around. During his second approach, the airplane lost about 200 feet of altitude following a downdraft. The pilot applied full throttle to gain airspeed. A wind gust lifted the airplane's right wing and the pilot applied full right aileron. The airplane's left wing, the left main landing gear, and the nose landing gear impacted terrain where the airplane skidded for 100 to 150 feet and sustained substantial wing damage. Subsequent to the accident, the pilot became aware of the airport/facility directory remarks for turbulence associated with the selected runway. Additionally, he reported that the airplane did not have any mechanical malfunctions during the accident flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N738LQ
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N (N)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17270065
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 9,704
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Journeys Aviation Inc.
- Registered owner
- Davison Joseph E Jr
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 3, 2014
- Departed
- LMO · Longmont, CO
- Destination
- BDU · Boulder, CO
- Airport
- BDU · Boulder Muni, runway 26, 4,100 × 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
- 34
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 2, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 84 total · 22 in this make and model · 80 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 0 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 14 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Observed at
- BDU
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 5, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.9 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.