- Date
- January 17, 2006, 18:05 local (Jan 18, 2006, 01:05 UTC)
- Place
- Denver, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N1322UCessna 172M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20060117000699A
- Case key
- 63113
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 align the airplane's nose into the direction of the wind while performing the pre-takeoff checklist. A contributing factor was the gusty wind conditions.
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 reported that he taxied the airplane to the run-up area for runway 29R. According to the automated terminal information service (ATIS) report, the wind was from 300 degrees at 25 knots, gusting to 34 knots. After positioning the airplane (nose at 210 degrees) for the engine run-up, the pilot cycled the flaps per the airplane checklist. With the flaps extended, a gust of wind pushed the airplane to a heading of 120 degrees, and subsequently, the airplane flipped over.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported he taxied the airplane to the run-up area for runway 29R. According to the automated terminal information service (ATIS) report, the wind was from 300 degrees at 25 knots, gusting to 34 knots. After positioning the airplane (nose at 210 degrees) for the engine run-up, the pilot cycled the flaps per the airplane checklist. With the flaps extended, a gust of wind pushed the airplane to a heading of 120 degrees, and subsequently, the airplane flipped over. Examination of the airplane revealed the vertical stabilizer was bent. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1322U
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172-67010
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2G, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Bell Ornithopters Flying Club Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- BJC · Denver, CO
- Airport
- BJC · Jeffco
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
- 67
- Certificates
- Military, Commercial, Airline transport, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 10,096 total · 169 in this make and model · 3 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.