- Date
- March 2, 2017, 16:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Greenville, ME
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N7450XCessna 172
- Defining event
- Taxi-from runway: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 7, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170302005519A
- Case key
- 94829
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 while taxiing in gusting crosswind conditions.
Findings · 5
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, after a normal landing in gusting headwind conditions, he turned onto an intersecting runway, which resulted in gusting crosswind conditions. He added that he positioned the flight controls to compensate for the crosswind but that, after taxiing about 150 ft on the runway, the left wing lifted, and the airplane veered to the right and then nosed over on snow-covered terrain. The vertical stabilizer sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation station at the accident airport, about the time of the accident, recorded wind from 300° at 13 knots, gusting to 28 knots. The pilot reported that he was taxiing on runway 3.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that after a normal landing in gusting headwind conditions, he turned onto an intersecting runway which resulted in gusting crosswind conditions. He added that he positioned the flight controls to compensate for the crosswind, but after taxiing about 150 ft. on the runway the left wing lifted, the airplane veered to right, and nosed over on snow-covered terrain. The vertical stabilizer sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation station at the accident airport, about the time of the accident, recorded wind 300° at 13 knots, gusting 28 knots. The pilot reported that he was taxiing on runway 3.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7450X
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17247950
- Built
- 1960
- Airframe hours
- 2,442
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-300-D, 130 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 12, 2016
- Departed
- OLD · Old Town, ME
- Destination
- 3B1 · Greenville, ME
- Airport
- 3B1 · Greenville Muni, runway 3, 3,001 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Handheld GPS, Stall warning system
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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 17, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 770 total · 255 in this make and model · 670 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 13 knots, gusting 28
- Temperature
- 16 °F, dew point 7 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.42 inHg
- Observed at
- KGNR
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 9, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 802 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.