- Date
- June 29, 2014, 15:35 local (19:35 UTC)
- Place
- Orlando, FL
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N775SPCessna 172S
- Defining event
- Taxi-from runway: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 2, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20140629009719A
- Case key
- 89563
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 flight instructor's failure to maintain control while taxiing in a strong gusty wind.
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 flight instructor reported that he had completed an approximate 1 hour flight with his student pilot and they landed uneventfully. After landing, the airplane had a long taxi to return to the fixed based operator. During the taxi, a thunderstorm moved into the area and the wind increased. The strong wind caused the airplane to weathervane violently in one direction. The wind then lifted the airplane, flipped it over, and it came to rest inverted on the taxiway. The pilot added that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed damage to the fuselage, wings, rudder, and horizontal stabilizer. The recorded wind at the airport at the time of the accident was from 120 degrees at 10 knots, gusting to 31 knots.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that he had completed an approximate 1 hour flight with his student pilot and they landed uneventfully. After landing, the airplane had a long taxi to return to the fixed based operator. During the taxi, a thunderstorm moved into the area and the wind increased. The strong wind caused the airplane to weathervane violently in one direction. The wind then lifted the airplane, flipped it over, and it came to rest inverted on the taxiway. The pilot added that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed damage to the fuselage, wings, rudder, and horizontal stabilizer. The recorded wind at the airport at the time of the accident was from 120 degrees at 10 knots, gusting to 31 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N775SP
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S8705
- Built
- 2001
- Airframe hours
- 7,088
- Engine
- Lycoming IO360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Trax Air
- Registered owner
- Scharf Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 4, 2014 · 22 hours before
- Departed
- ORL · Orlando, FL
- Destination
- ORL · Orlando, FL
- Airport
- ORL · Orlando Executive Airport
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Auto-pilot
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 24
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 25, 2013
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,614 total · 1,024 in this make and model · 1,513 as pilot in command · 88 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 47
- Injuries
- Minor
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 9 total · 9 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 10 knots, gusting 31
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- ORL
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 20, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 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.
Other investigations on N775SP · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.