- Date
- December 28, 2003, 12:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Hudson, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5609BCessna 182
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 30, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20031228034109A
- Case key
- 58545
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
the pilot's failure to maintain directional control due to an excessive crosswind component, resulting in an uncontrolled groundloop/swerve. Contributing factors were the crosswind gust and the soft, sandy terrain.
Analysis
The pilot said he was landing on runway 33 into a left 30-degree crosswind (later he said it was a 70-degree crosswind). "An apparent gust" of approximately 40 mph "caused the airplane to ground loop to the left side of the runway. The airplane departed the runway, "it appears the right wheel dug into the sandy ground," and the airplane nosed over. According to the Wind Component Chart, under the conditions described by the pilot, a 30-degree, 40 mph crosswind would produce a crosswind component of 20 mph. A 70-degree, 40 mph crosswind would produce a crosswind component of 38 mph. According to a spokesperson for the airplane manufacturer, the maximum crosswind component for the airplane is 15 mph.
Factual narrative
On December 28, 2003, approximately 1200 mountain standard time, N5609B, a Cessna 182 (tailwheel conversion), registered to and operated by the pilot, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain during landing roll at the Platte Valley Airpark, Hudson, Colorado. The private pilot and his student pilot certificated-passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the personal flight being operated under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated from Kelly Airpark, Elbert, Colorado, approximately 1125.
In a telephone interview with the pilot, he said he was landing on runway 33 into a left 30-degree crosswind. In his accident report, however, he indicated it was a 70-degree crosswind. "An apparent gust" of approximately 40 mph "caused the airplane to ground loop to the left side of the runway. The airplane departed the runway, "it appears the right wheel dug into the sandy ground," and the airplane nosed over. The vertical stabilizer and rudder were crushed; the propeller, engine mounts, and both wings were bent, and the windshield was shattered.
According to the Wind Component Chart, under the conditions described by the pilot, a 30-degree, 40 mph crosswind would produce a crosswind component of 20 mph. A 70-degree, 40 mph crosswind would produce a crosswind component of 38 mph. According to a Cessna Aircraft Company spokesperson, the maximum crosswind component for the airplane is 15 mph.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5609B
- Reported as
- Cessna 182
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 33609
- Airframe hours
- 1,033
- Engine
- Continental O-470-L, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Russell J. Kostroski
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 3, 2003 · 29 hours before
- Departed
- CO15 · Elbert, CO
- Destination
- 18V · Hudson, OH
- Airport
- 18V · Platte Valley Airpark, runway 33, 4,100 × 40 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
- 79
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- January 2, 2003
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,001 total · 422 in this make and model · 1,819 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point -4 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- DEN, 17 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.