- Date
- July 21, 2012, 15:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hammond, NY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6778HCessna 172M
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 5, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120721023019A
- Case key
- 84462
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 of the airplane while landing in gusting wind conditions.
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
According to the pilot, the airplane encountered a strong gust of wind during takeoff that pushed the airplane to the left of the landing strip. After departing the landing strip, the nose gear collapsed, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported the wind at the airstrip around the time of the accident to be from 270 degrees at 10 knots with gusts at 20 knots.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, the airplane encountered a strong gust of wind that pushed the airplane to the left of the landing strip. Upon leaving the landing strip the nose gear collapsed resulting in substantial damage to the airplane. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported the wind based on a wind sock at the airstrip around the time of the accident to be from 270 degrees at 10 knots with gusts at 20 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6778H
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17265578
- Airframe hours
- 9,672
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 18, 2012 · 75 hours before
- Departed
- ART · Watertown, NY
- Destination
- Hammond, NY
- Airport
- NONE · Private, runway 27, 2,600 × 40 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
- 40
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 21, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,857 total · 41 in this make and model · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 10 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 7, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.0 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.