- Date
- August 6, 2005, 15:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Collins, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5136RCessna 172RG
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 27, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Denver, Colorado
- FAA report
- 20050806016769A
- Case key
- 62149
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. Contributing factors were the crosswind, the pilot's failure to compensate for the wind conditions --- allowing the airplane to touch down without being properly aligned with the runway --- and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the pilot.
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 certified flight instructor (CFI) candidate was on final approach to runway 33. There was a "light" crosswind from the right (4 to 7 knots), and he crabbed the airplane into the wind. The instructor told the pilot several times to apply "more left rudder." The airplane touched down on the left main gear and the left wing tip scraped the ground. The pilot decided to abort the landing and applied full power. The airplane veered off the runway and struck a taxiway sign. The instructor took control and terminated the attempted abort. AWOS (Automated Weather Observation Station) recorded wind at the time of the accident as 060 degrees at 3 knots.
Factual narrative
On August 6, 2005, at 1515 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172RG, N5136R, operated by Colorado Contrails and piloted by a commercial pilot under the supervision of a flight instructor, was substantially damaged when it departed the runway and struck a taxiway sign while landing at Fort Collins/Loveland Airport (FNL), Fort Collins, Colorado. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The local instructional flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot, instructor, and passenger reported no injuries. The flight originated at Fort Collins, Colorado, approximately 1400.
In his written statement, the right seat pilot, who was working on his CFI (certified flight instructor) certificate, stated he was on final approach to runway 33. There was a "light" crosswind from the right (4 to 7 knots), and he crabbed the airplane into the wind. The instructor said that he told the pilot several times to apply "more left rudder." The airplane touched down on the left main gear and the left wing tip scraped the ground. The pilot decided to abort the landing and applied full power. The airplane veered off the runway and struck a taxiway sign. The instructor took control and terminated the attempted abort.
AWOS (Automated Weather Observation Station) recorded wind at the time of the accident as 060 degrees at 3 knots.
Postaccident inspection revealed the left wingtip was cracked, the skin behind the wing strut was torn, the skin behind the main landing gear was rippled, the horizontal stabilizer leading edge was crushed, and the rear bulkhead was deformed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5136R
- Reported as
- Cessna 172RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172RG0040
- Airframe hours
- 7,725.1
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-360-F1A6, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Colorado Contrails Aviation, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Colorado Contrails Aviation Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 1, 2005 · 6.1 hours before
- Departed
- FNL · Fort Collins, CO
- Destination
- FNL
- Airport
- KFNL · Fort Collins - Loveland, runway 33, 8,500 × 100 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 1, 2005
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,190 total · 26 in this make and model · 150 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 29
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 280 total · 2 in this make and model · 104 in the last 90 days · 36 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- FNL
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.