- Date
- May 6, 2010, 19:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Pierce, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5312GCessna 305A
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- Case key
- 75965
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 during a crosswind landing.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he was practicing touch and go landings with the tailwheeled airplane to runway 27. During his seventh landing, the "wind velocity increased and a crosswind developed." As the airplane touched down, it veered to the left and departed the grass runway. The pilot reduced engine power and attempted to regain control; however, the airplane’s left wing impacted a tree, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane. A weather observation taken approximately at the time of the accident, 15 miles from the accident site, recorded the wind as 190 degrees at 14 knots.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was practicing touch and go landings with the tailwheeled airplane to runway 27. During his seventh landing, the "wind velocity increased and a crosswind developed." As the airplane touched down, it veered to the left and departed the grass runway. The pilot reduced engine power and attempted to regain control; however, the airplane’s left wing impacted a tree, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane. A weather observation taken approximately at the time of the accident, 15 miles from the accident site, recorded the wind as 190 degrees at 14 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5312G
- Reported as
- Cessna 305A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22746
- Airframe hours
- 5,620
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 3, 2009
- Departed
- FL37 · Fort Pierce, FL
- Destination
- FL37 · Fort Pierce, FL
- Airport
- FL37 · Treasure Coast Airpark, runway 27, 4,000 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 28, 2008
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,233 total · 55 in this make and model · 1,078 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- KSUA, 15 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 19, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB in all.
Other investigations on N5312G · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.