# NTSB CHI03LA157: Cessna 140A, N5667C, Grinnell, IA, June 5, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 5, 2003, 13:30 local (18:30 UTC) - Place: Grinnell, IA - Coordinates: 41.709445, -92.734725 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.7094&lon=-92.7347&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report November 25, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA- Des Moines FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 57199 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI03LA157 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/57199/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI03LA157 ## Probable cause The pilot's inadvertent ground loop. Factors contributing to the accident were the wind gusts and crosswind conditions. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - on ground/water, landing - roll - ground loop/swerve - inadvertent, pilot in command (cause) - weather condition - gusts (contributing factor) - weather condition - crosswind (contributing factor) - Nose over, landing - roll ## Analysis The airplane ground looped during landing. The pilot stated he received a report from another aircraft that the winds at his destination were variable and that he could choose a runway. The pilot reported the approach and touchdown were normal. The pilot noted he encountered a right rear-quartering gust. Winds 21 miles south-southwest of the accident site were recorded as 210 degrees at 10 knots gusting to 15 knots. The pilot stated the airplane swerved, ground looped, and subsequently nosed over. ## Factual narrative On June 5, 2003, at 1330 central daylight time, a Cessna 140A, N5667C, owned and piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage when it ground looped during landing on runway 13 (5,200 feet by 75 feet, dry concrete) at Grinnell Regional Airport (GGI), Grinnell, Iowa. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot reported no injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The flight departed Pella Municipal Airport (PEA), Pella, Iowa, at 1230, en route to GGI The pilot reported he received a report from another aircraft at GGI that the winds were variable and that he "could pick [a] runway." The pilot stated that he entered a downwind for runway 13, and the approach and touchdown were normal. The pilot stated the airplane "seemed to take a right rear quartering gust." The airplane then swerved, ground looped, and subsequently nosed over. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures during the accident flight. A weather reporting station at PEA, 21 nautical miles south-southwest of the accident site, recorded at 1335: winds from 210 degrees at 10 knots, gusting to 15 knots. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N5667C](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5667C), registered now, S/N 15623, built 1950 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 140A - Registry model: [Cessna 140A](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-140a) (registry code 2071604) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental C90 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-c90-series) (registry code 17009, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 15623 - Airframe hours: 2633.9 - Engines: Continental C90-14-F 90 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, November 1, 2002, 58.6 hours before - Departed: PEA, Pella, IA - Destination: GGI, Grinnell, IA - Airport: GGI, Grinnell Regional Airport, runway 13, 5,200 × 75 ft, concrete ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 40; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review November 15, 2002; seat: right; flight hours: 639 total, 102 in this make and model, 639 as pilot in command, 24 in the last 90 days, 9 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 210° at 10 knots, gusting 15 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 75 °F, dew point 52 °F - Altimeter: 29.97 inHg - Observed at: PEA, 21 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20030605011599A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030605011599A), Jun 5, 2003: Cessna 140A, Grinnell, IA, Substantial damage. (-23) Pilot stated that after touchdown at Grinnell Municipal Airport, Grinnell, Iowa, the aircraft started to veer off and he then lost directional control.… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.