- Date
- April 26, 1996, 09:48 local (15:48 UTC)
- Place
- Broomfield, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N75839Cessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960426047499A
- Case key
- 19815
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 student pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions, and his failure to obtain/maintain directional control. A factor was the cross wind.
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 airplane was on downwind leg to runway 11L when the control tower operator advised the pilot that wind velocity had increased to 15 knots. On final approach, the pilot was advised the wind velocity had dropped to 5 knots. The pilot said the airplane was then to the left of the runway centerline, and he maneuvered to correct the alignment. The airplane touched down with a side load because the nose was not pointed down the runway. The airplane departed the left side of the runway onto a high speed turnoff, crossed a parallel taxiway and struck the taxiway sign. The nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane came to a halt on the parking ramp. The wind was reported to be from 070 degrees at 10 knots, with gusts to 16 knots.
Factual narrative
On April 26, 1996, at 0948 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N75839, owned by a private owner and operated by Mile High Aviation Services, Inc., was substantially damaged during landing at Broomfield, Colorado. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The student pilot was not injured. The Title 14 CFR Part 91 training flight originated at Broomfield, Colorado at 0915.
According to the pilot's accident report, this was a "supervised solo training flight," and he made two touch and go landings in what he described as "mild turbulence." While on the downwind leg for the third approach, the control tower operator advised the pilot that the wind velocity had increased to 15 knots. When the airplane was on final approach, the pilot was advised the wind velocity had dropped to 5 knots. The pilot said he was not aligned with, but was to the left of, the runway centerline. He maneuvered to align the airplane with the runway. The airplane touched down with a side load because the nose was not pointed down the runway. The airplane departed the left side of the runway onto a high speed turnoff, crossed a parallel taxiway and struck the taxiway sign. The nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane came to a halt on the parking ramp..
According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the airplane touched down 3,000 feet beyond runway 11L threshold. According to the official weather observation taken at the time of the accident, the wind was from 070 degrees at 10 knots, with gusts to 16 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N75839
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17267994
- Airframe hours
- 11,049
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Mile High Aviation Svc, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Michael D. & Sheryl A. Mcguire
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 25, 1996 · 51 hours before
- Departed
- BJC · CO
- Destination
- BJC
- Airport
- BJC · Broomfield-Jefferson Co., runway 11L, 9,000 × 100 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
- 43
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 21 total · 21 in this make and model · 10 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 10 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BJC
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.