- Date
- July 31, 2004, 14:40 local (20:40 UTC)
- Place
- Hurricane, UT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5426JCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 3, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20040731016139A
- Case key
- 59821
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 student pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the landing. Contributing factors include the crosswind, the wind gusts, and the exceeded maximum demonstrated crosswind component.
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 student pilot said he landed "too fast", "lost control and veered off to the west" side of the runway, substantially damaging the airplane. A post accident examination of the airplane systems revealed no anomalies. The winds were reported as a direct crosswind at 18 knots with gusts to 25 knots. The crosswind component was calculated between 19 and 25 knots. According to the manufacturer's handbook, the maximum demonstrated crosswind component for this airplane is 15 knots.
Factual narrative
On July 31, 2004, at approximately 1440 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N5426J, piloted by a student pilot, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain after departing the runway during landing at Hurricane Airport, Hurricane, Utah. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The solo training flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The student pilot reported no injuries. The local flight originated at 1300.
According to the accident report submitted by the student pilot, he was landing on runway 18 "too fast." The pilot wrote that he "lost control and veered off to the west" side of the runway. The right main landing gear was bent, the left wing tip and wing spar were bent up and the firewall was wrinkled. A postaccident examination of the airplane systems revealed no anomalies.
The winds at St. George Municipal Airport, 14 nautical miles west of Hurricane, were reported as 260 degrees at 18 knots with gusts to 25 knots. The calculated crosswind component was between 19 and 25 knots. According to the Cessna Pilot Operating Handbook, the maximum demonstrated crosswind component for this airplane is 15 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5426J
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5426J
- Airframe hours
- 12,723.6
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2HD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 26, 2004 · 55.2 hours before
- Departed
- 1L8 · Hurricane, UT
- Destination
- 1L8
- Airport
- 1L8 · Hurricane, runway 18, 3,410 × 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 61 total · 61 in this make and model · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 18 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 102 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- SGU, 14 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.