- Date
- February 17, 2002, 09:20 local (16:20 UTC)
- Place
- Durango, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4642JCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 25, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20020217003229A
- Case key
- 54205
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 directional control during the landing roll. Contributing factors were the crosswind and the pilot's fatigue from lack of sleep.
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 pilot said that during a touch and go landing on runway 19, he overcorrected for a slight right crosswind, and the airplane went off the right side of the runway. It struck a pile of dirt, and the left main gear collapsed. The airplane then crossed the runway and came to rest on the east side. The pilot said, "I had slept poorly the previous two nights and in retrospect, I believe fatigue was a significant factor in this accident."
Factual narrative
On February 17, 2002, approximately 0920 mountain standard time, a Cessna 172N, N4642J, was substantially damaged when it struck terrain following a loss on control during landing at Animas Air Park, Durango, Colorado. The student pilot, the sole occupant aboard, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the local training flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated approximately 0900.
According to the pilot's accident report, he made one touch and go landing on runway 19. On the second touch and go landing, he overcorrected for a slight right crosswind. The airplane departed the right (west) side of the runway and struck a 3 foot tall pile of dirt, and the left main gear collapsed. The airplane traveled back across the runway and came to rest on the east side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the underside of the fuselage, left horizontal stabilizer, and elevator. In addition, two runway lights were broken. The pilot said, "I had slept poorly the previous two nights and in retrospect, I believe fatigue was a significant factor in this accident."
At 0953, the recorded wind condition at Durango-La Plata County Airport, Durango, Colorado, located 8 miles southeast of the accident site, was 100 degrees, at 4 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4642J
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17273658
- Airframe hours
- 9,331
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gregg Flying Sevice
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 5, 2002 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- 00C · Durango, CO
- Destination
- 00C · Durango, CO
- Airport
- 00C · Animas Air Park, runway 19, 5,010 × 50 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 34
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 38 total · 30 in this make and model · 10 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 41 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- DRO
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 3, 2002, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 378 KB 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.
Other investigations on N4642J · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.