- Date
- May 23, 1993, 12:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Buena Vista, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4881GCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930523014779A
- Case key
- 18290
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
A downdraft and the pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane. Factors were: a crosswind and the inadvertent selection of additional flaps.
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 said that from the air, the wind appeared to be directly across runway 15 'with possibly a left quartering tailwind.' After selecting 20 degrees of flaps, he noticed his airspeed had increased from 80 knots to 115 knots. He closed the throttle, slowed back to 80 knots, and selected what he thought was 30 degrees of flaps. As he flared the airplane between 70 and 75 KIAS, the pilot sensed he was going too fast. The airplane was then 'sharply blown down onto the runway,' left of centerline, and bounced. He applied full throttle in an attempt to go around, and noticed the flap handle was in the 40 degree detent. He retracted the flaps, but the airplane drifted off the left side of the runway. He said the airplane lifted off but never got out of ground effect. It went down an embankment, struck a ditch, and nosed over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4881G
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17273428
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Canon Air Service
- Registered owner
- Ledbetter, Tom
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- 1V6 · Canon City, CO
- Destination
- 7V1
- Airport
- 7V1 · Buena Vista, runway 15, 9,185 × 50 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
- 45
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 104 total · 101 in this make and model · 56 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 20 knots, gusting 35
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.