- Date
- May 11, 1994, 16:09 local (23:09 UTC)
- Place
- Goodyear, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N89550Cessna 120
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940511015809A
- Case key
- 19053
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. A factor was the gusty crosswind.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot, en route to mesa, Arizona, decided to land at Goodyear, Arizona, due to adverse weather at his destination. Sustained winds during his approach to runway 3 were reported to be 050 degrees at 20 to 25 knots. The pilot said he made a wheel landing and was decelerating with the tailwheel on the ground when a 'strong wind gust spun the aircraft around.' The airplane veered off the left side of the runway and struck a small ditch.
Factual narrative
On May 11, 1994, at 1609 mountain standard time, a Cessna 120, N89550, was substantially damaged during landing at Goodyear, Arizona. The pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight.
In his pilot/operator report, the pilot said his original destination was Falcon Field, Mesa, Arizona. When he was just west of Goodyear, Arizona, he could see dark clouds and rain over his destination, so he decided to land at Goodyear. After waiting for a dust storm to pass, the pilot began his approach to runway 3. Sustained winds were reported from 050 degrees at 20 to 25 knots. The pilot said he made a wheel landing and was decelerating with the tailwheel on the ground when a "strong wind gust spun the aircraft around." The airplane veered off the left side of the runway and struck a small ditch and nosed over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N89550
- Reported as
- Cessna 120
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 8590
- Airframe hours
- 1,525
- Engine
- Continental C-85-12, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Roberti, Michael A.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 19, 1994 · 61 hours before
- Departed
- BLH · Blythe, CA
- Destination
- FFZ · Mesa, AZ
- Airport
- GYR · Goodyear Municipal, runway 3, 8,500 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 26
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 545 total · 88 in this make and model · 465 as pilot in command · 90 in the last 90 days · 31 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 20 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Observed at
- GYR
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.