- Date
- December 23, 2019, 13:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Pineville, LA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N739SBCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 16, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20191223019849A
- Case key
- 100721
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 attain an adequate climb rate during an aborted landing with a left quartering, gusting headwind, which resulted in impact with a tree.
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, while on final approach, he listened to the automated weather broadcast at a local airport to confirm wind direction and speed. The broadcast weather indicated that there would be a left quartering headwind, and the wave direction on the surface of the lake surrounding the airport corroborated this information. The pilot stated that the wind was gusting, but he was able to touch down smoothly on the runway. The airplane encountered a "strong" wind gust from the right and then headed left toward a ditch. The pilot increased the throttle to conduct an aborted landing. The airplane gained altitude and avoided impacting the ditch; however, the wing struck a tree, and the airplane flipped over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The private pilot reported that he checked aviation weather services and an automated weather broadcast before departing with a passenger on a local sightseeing flight. As the flight was returning to land, the pilot listened to the automated weather broadcast at a local airport to confirm wind direction and speed. The destination airport windsock was not operational. The broadcasted weather indicated there would be a left quartering headwind, and the wave direction on the surface of the lake surrounding the airport corroborated this wind condition. The pilot stated that the wind was gusty, but he was able to touch down smoothly on the runway. The airplane encountered a "strong" wind gust from the right side, and the airplane headed left towards a ditch. The pilot increased the throttle to perform an aborted landing. The airplane gained altitude and avoided impacting the ditch, a parked airplane, and a fence. However, the wing struck a small tree, and the airplane "flipped" at that point and sustained substantial fuselage and wing damage. The pilot stated there was no mechanical malfunction/failure of the airplane during the flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N739SB
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (N)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17270759
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 12,108.6
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Flightline Leasing Inc
- Registered owner
- Flightline Leasing Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 17, 2019
- Departed
- 2L0 · Pineville, LA
- Destination
- 2L0 · Pineville, LA
- Airport
- 2L0 · Pineville Muni, runway 36, 3,000 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- 33
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 5, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 62 total · 60 in this make and model · 13 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 10 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- KAEX, 6 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.