# NTSB FTW98LA188: Cessna 172P, N6174K, Longmont, CO, April 19, 1998 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 19, 1998, 17:15 local (23:15 UTC) - Place: Longmont, CO - Coordinates: 39.990032, -105.089546 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.9900&lon=-105.0895&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor - Status: Completed, report May 19, 1999 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 20583 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW98LA188 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/20583/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA188 ## Probable cause The pilot inadvertently stalling the aircraft during the landing touchdown. Factors were a crosswind and the pilot's lack of total flight experience. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight encounter with weather, approach - vfr pattern - final approach - weather condition - crosswind (contributing factor) - Loss of control - in flight, landing - flare/touchdown - stall - inadvertent, pilot in command (cause) - lack of total experience, pilot in command (contributing factor) - In flight collision with terrain/water, landing - terrain condition - grass ## Analysis While on final approach to land at Vance Brand Municipal Airport, the wind was a 10 to 15 knot left crosswind. As the student pilot (he had a total of 53 hours of flight time) started to flare, he got blown off the runway centerline to the right, then to the left. The stall warning went off, and he pitched the nose down in an attempt to build airspeed. When he pitched the nose back up to gain altitude, the stall warning went off again, and the aircraft stalled. The aircraft departed the left side of the runway into the grass. The airplane impacted the ground, separating the nose landing gear, bending the fuselage, and damaging both wings, the engine mount, and the firewall. ## Factual narrative On April 19, 1998, approximately 1715 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172P, N6174K, was substantially damaged following a loss of control during landing flare at Vance Brand Municipal Airport, Longmont, Colorado. The student pilot, the sole occupant aboard, received minor injuries. The airplane was owned and being operated by Travis A. McGinnis under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the solo instructional cross-country flight which originated from Broomfield, Colorado, approximately 2 hours before the accident. A VFR flight plan had been filed. According to the student pilot (he had a total of 53 hours of flight time), he departed Crosson Field, Sterling, Colorado, with the intention of flying to Greeley-Weld County Airport, Greeley Colorado. He made the decision not to land at Greeley "because of the virga" at the airport, and instead flew to Vance Brand Municipal, his alternate airport. At Vance Brand, he observed two airplanes switch to runway 29 because of reported downdrafts on runway 11. Prior to landing, he was told by another pilot that the winds "were not bad at all." While on final approach to land, the student pilot estimated the wind to be a 10 to 15 knot left crosswind. As he started to flare, he "noticed that [he] was getting blown off the runway centerline to the right, then got blown to the left and could not keep the plane from stalling at go-around decision." He heard the stall warning, and pitched the nose down in an attempt to build airspeed. When he pitched the nose back up to gain altitude, the stall warning went off again. At that point, he was "descending vertically with almost no horizontal motion," and the aircraft stalled. The student pilot stated that he believed he became unconscious after that point and was unable to recall the remainder of the events. A witness reported that the airplane flew a normal pattern to runway 29. He stated that the airplane did not have any flaps down and that it floated approximately two thirds of the way down the runway when he heard the pilot apply power. The wind was "nearly a direct right cross with some good gusts" and that the hangars on that side of the field made the winds "burble." While the airplane was floating, "it seemed to turn into the wind and then away from the wind. It got slower and slower, and then it floated left of centerline over the grass." The airplane impacted the ground, separating the nose landing gear, bending the fuselage, and damaging both wings, the engine mount, and the firewall. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N6174K](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6174K-2007-10-01), registration cancelled 2007-10-01, S/N 17274171, built 1980 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 172P - Registry model: [Cessna 172P](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172p) (registry code 2072436) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17274171 - Airframe hours: 6000 - Engines: Lycoming O-320-D2J 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Travis A. Mcginnis - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility - Last inspection: 100 hour, March 24, 1998, 50 hours before - Departed: STK, STERLING, CO - Destination: 2V2 - Flight plan: VFR - Airport: 2V2, Vance Brand Municipal, runway 29, 4,800 × 75 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 21; student; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 53 total, 53 in this make and model, 12 in the last 90 days, 4 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 320° at 13 knots - Visibility: 50 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 15,000 ft overcast - Temperature: 54 °F, dew point 25 °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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19980419013289A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980419013289A), Apr 19, 1998: Cessna 172P, Longmont, CO, Substantial damage. Drifted in crosswind landing. Made contact with groun. CFI targeted for dual xwind landings. P factor. Go arounds. (.4)while on final approach to land at Vance… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.