- Date
- February 16, 2007, 17:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- St. Louis, MO
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N270JACessna 172S
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration, St. Louis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20070216002609A
- Case key
- 65356
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 inadequate compensation for the wind conditions and failure to maintain directional control. Factors were the gusting crosswind conditions and the snow covered ground.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane departed the left edge of the runway and impacted snow covered terrain while landing on runway 8L (5,000 feet by 75 feet, asphalt). The pilot reported that upon touchdown "the airplane started skidding to the left" and that the "left wheel was shaking violently." The pilot stated he "applied right rudder and right brake aggressively" in an effort to keep the airplane on the runway. The pilot reported the airplane departed the runway onto snow covered ground. The pilot stated the airplane sunk through a hard layer of snow, causing the propeller to strike the ground and the left wing to "hit the snow." The wind conditions at the time of the accident were from 170 degrees magnetic at 13 knots, gusting to 18 knots.
Factual narrative
The airplane departed the left edge of the runway and impacted snow covered terrain while landing on runway 8L (5,000 feet by 75 feet, asphalt). The pilot reported that upon touchdown "the airplane started skidding to the left" and that the "left wheel was shaking violently." The pilot stated he "applied right rudder and right brake aggressively" in an effort to keep the airplane on the runway. The pilot reported the airplane departed the runway onto snow covered ground. The pilot stated the airplane sunk through a hard layer of snow, causing the propeller to strike the ground and the left wing to "hit the snow." The wind conditions at the time of the accident were from 170 degrees magnetic at 13 knots, gusting to 18 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N270JA
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S8619
- Airframe hours
- 4,009
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Bunnell Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 1, 2007
- Departed
- MO6 · Washington, MO
- Destination
- SUS · St. Louis, MO
- Airport
- SUS · Spirit of St. Louis, runway 8L, 5,000 × 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
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 138 total · 111 in this make and model · 22 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 170° at 13 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 10 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.82 inHg
- Observed at
- SUS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.