- Date
- March 24, 2013, 15:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Tistusville, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N7113GCessna 172
- Defining event
- Taxi-from runway: Windshear or thunderstorm
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 18, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130324004549A
- Case key
- 86495
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 loss of airplane control while taxiing in gusting wind conditions associated with nearby thunderstorm activity.
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, he elected to land because there were thunderstorms between his location and the destination airport. He landed the airplane without incident and was taxiing to a parking area when the wind increased. The wind lifted the tail of the airplane; it nosed over and came to rest inverted, resulting in substantial damage to the wings and empennage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The weather reported at an airport located 6 miles east of the accident location indicated thunderstorm activity and wind from 240 degrees at 14 knots, gusting to 19 knots; peak wind gusts of 52 knots were recorded repeatedly during a 30 minute period around the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he elected to land at the accident airport since there were thunderstorms between him and the destination airport. He landed the airplane without incident and was taxiing to the tiedown area when the wind increased. The wind lifted the tail of the airplane, it nosed over, and came to rest inverted, resulting in substantial damage to the wings and empennage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The weather reported at an airport located six miles to the east of the accident location included thunderstorm activity and winds from 240 degrees at 14 knots, gusts 19 knots, and the peak wind was recorded at 52 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7113G
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (K)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17258813
- Airframe hours
- 5,797
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ryans Dream Inc.
- Registered owner
- Ryans Dream Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 24, 2013
- Departed
- TMB · Miami, FL
- Destination
- DED · DeLand, FL
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- X21 · Arthur Dunn Air Park
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
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 6, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 11,000 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 10,500 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 14 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 0 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,200 ft broken
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.68 inHg
- Observed at
- TTS, 8 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 23, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 10.6 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.