ERA13CA181

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 172 · Tistusville, FL · March 24, 2013

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
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.

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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.

Convective weather: thunderstormEnvironmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Contributed to outcomeCessna 172K: 1 caseAll aircraft: 100 casesProbable cause
Wind: high windEnvironmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Contributed to outcomeCessna 172K: 2 casesAll aircraft: 112 casesProbable cause
Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotCessna 172K: 33 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause

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.