- Date
- January 2, 1989, 15:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- Cheyenne, WY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N4440LCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890102000099A
- Case key
- 17657
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
Improper planning/decision by the pilot. Factors related to the accident were the high wind and gusts, which he was unable to compensate for.
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 ATP rated plt was taxiing the acft on taxiway 'b' to rwy 26 for takeoff. He reported that as he was taxiing, a gust lifted the acft's tail. The acft then nosed over & came to rest inverted. The plt reported the wind was from 250 deg with gusts to 45 KTS. During the 1516 MST wx observation, the wind was from 280 deg at 30 gusting 45 KTS.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4440L
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17254532
- Airframe hours
- 1,693
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Loyd, Michael R.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 1988 · 47 hours before
- Destination
- Greeley, CO
- Airport
- CYS · Cheyenne, runway 26, 9,199 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 34
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,103 total · 1,700 in this make and model · 5,033 as pilot in command · 188 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 30 knots, gusting 45
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CYS, 1 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.