- Date
- September 9, 2017, 14:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Broomfield, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N89732Cessna 152
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 27, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170909015949A
- Case key
- 95983
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 failure to maintain directional control while landing 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 student pilot reported that, while landing in a "strong" crosswind, the airplane touched down on the runway centerline but then veered hard to the left. He attempted to correct by using rudder and aileron inputs, but he overcorrected, and the airplane veered sharply to the right and exited the runway. He applied full throttle to abort the landing; however, the airplane veered left across the runway, then continued off its left side. The airplane continued down an embankment, the nose impacted an "upslope" on the far side of a ditch, and the airplane came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage and both wings. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system located about 1 mile from the accident site reported, about 15 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 190° at 13 knots and that, about 15 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 210° at 17 knots, gusting to 21 knots. The student pilot landed on runway 12R.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that, while landing in a "strong" crosswind, the airplane touched down on the center line of the runway, but then veered hard to the left. He attempted to correct by using rudder and aileron inputs, but over corrected and the airplane veered sharply to the right and exited the runway. He applied full throttle to abort the landing; however, the airplane veered left across the runway, then continued off the left side of the runway. The airplane continued down an embankment, the nose impacted an "upslope" on the far side of a ditch and the airplane came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage and both wings. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system located about 1 mile from the accident site reported, about 15 minutes before the time of the accident, the wind was from 190° at 13 knots; and that about 15 minutes after the time of the accident, the wind was from 210° at 17 knots, gusting to 21 knots. The student pilot landed on runway 12R.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N89732
- Reported as
- Cessna 152 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15282846
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 7,240.8
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 7, 2017
- Departed
- BJC · Broomfield, CO
- Destination
- BJC · Broomfield, CO
- Airport
- BJC · Rocky Mountain Metropolitan, runway 12R, 7,002 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 109 total · 74 in this make and model · 19 as pilot in command · 33 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 17 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- KBJC, 1 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 6, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 MB 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.