CEN22LA173

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 172M · Tomball, TX · April 8, 2022

Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal report
Date
April 8, 2022, 18:00 local (23:00 UTC)
Place
Tomball, TX
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N1141UCessna 172M
Defining event
Landing: Loss of control on ground
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed
Report
Approved by Office Director
Investigation class
Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
NTSB office
Central Region
Parties
FAA - Houston FSDO
FAA report
20220408005179A
Case key
104931

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot did not maintain directional control during landing, which led to a runway excursion and nose-over of the airplane.

Findings · 3

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.

Wind: gustsEnvironmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on operationCessna 172M: 26 casesAll aircraft: 1,199 cases
Performance/control parameters: directional controlAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedCessna 172M: 59 casesAll aircraft: 3,958 casesProbable cause
Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotCessna 172M: 123 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause

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 the purpose of the flight was to gain experience operating the airplane in crosswind conditions. During landing, when the airplane was about 20 feet above the ground, a wind gust arrested the descent and pushed the airplane to the right of the runway centerline. The pilot corrected for the drift and re-established alignment with the runway centerline. When the airplane was a few feet above the runway, another wind gust resulted in the airplane contacting the runway with the left main landing gear. The pilot corrected with right rudder, but the side loading of the landing gear had altered the airplane’s runway alignment to the left and it went off the left side of the runway. The pilot attempted to correct with right rudder and right braking, but the nose wheel sunk into wet ground and the airplane nosed over, coming to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot indicated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations. The pilot reported that the wind condition at the time of the landing was about 50 degrees left of runway heading at 13 kts gusting to 23 kts. The recorded weather observation about the time of the accident recorded wind about 20 degrees left of runway heading at 8 kts, gusting to 21 kts.

Aircraft

Registration
N1141U
Reported as
Cessna 172M
Category
Airplane
Serial number
17266870
Built
1976
Airframe hours
12,220
Engine
Lycoming O-320-E2D, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
Flight School Inc
Registered owner
Flight School Inc
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
Last inspection
100 hour · March 4, 2022
Airport
DWH · David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport, runway 35L, 7,009 × 100 ft, asphalt
Equipment
ADS-B, Stall warning system

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
39
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
Last flight review
November 5, 2021
Seat
Left
Restraint
3-point
Flight hours
84 total · 6 in this make and model · 38 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
330° at 8 knots, gusting 21
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
73 °F, dew point 27 °F
Altimeter
30.10 inHg
Observed at
KDWH
METAR
METAR KDWH 082253Z AUTO 33008G21KT 10SM CLR 23/M03 A3010 RMK AO2 PK WND 31026/2227 SLP191 T02281033=

Docket · 4

The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 22, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.2 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.