- Date
- March 2, 2017, 20:00 local (Mar 3, 2017, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Alpine, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2892YCessna 182
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report May 15, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170302001939A
- Case key
- 94817
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 inadequate compensation for gusting crosswind conditions at night and his delayed go-around, which resulted in the airplane bouncing and impacting a fence.
Findings · 7
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 pilot reported that, during final approach in gusting wind conditions at night, he reduced power and initiated a flare when he then heard the stall warning horn. He added that a "gust of wind caught [the] left wing," which he attempted to recover with left aileron inputs. The nose landing gear bounced during touchdown, and he applied full power to go around when a gust of wind "pushed [him] right into desert." The airplane bounced, impacted a fence, and came to rest inverted on the right side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located on the airport revealed that, about 5 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 130° at 9 knots and that, about 15 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 140° at 10 knots, gusting to 17 knots. The airplane landed on runway 19.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during final approach in gusting wind conditions at night, he reduced power and initiated a flare when he then heard the stall warning horn. He added that a "gust of wind caught [the] left wing", which he attempted to recover with left aileron inputs. The nose landing gear bounced during touchdown and he applied full power to go around when a gust of wind "pushed [him] right into desert". The airplane bounced, impacted a fence, and came to rest inverted on the right side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located on the airport revealed that about 5 minutes before the accident the wind was 130° at 9 knots. The same weather observation station reported that about 15 minutes after the accident the wind was 140° at 10 knots, gusting to 17 knots. The airplane landed on runway 19.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2892Y
- Reported as
- Cessna 182 (E)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18253892
- Built
- 1962
- Airframe hours
- 3,246.6
- Engine
- Continental O-470-R55, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 25, 2016
- Departed
- E38 · Alpine, TX
- Destination
- E38 · Alpine, TX
- Airport
- E38 · Alpine-Casparis Muni, runway 19, 6,002 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Handheld GPS, 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 12, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 194 total · 37 in this make and model · 138 as pilot in command · 37 in the last 90 days · 37 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Pilot-rated passenger
- Age
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- Lap only
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 130° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.39 inHg
- Observed at
- KE38
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 31, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 401 KB 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.