- Date
- February 16, 2018, 21:20 local (Feb 17, 2018, 04:20 UTC)
- Place
- Broomfield, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N13453Cessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report September 10, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180216002679A
- Case key
- 96764
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 of the airplane during the landing roll in gusting wind conditions.
Findings · 4
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 the landing roll on runway 30, about 10 miles per hour, in gusting wind conditions, the airplane exited the right side of the runway and collided with a drainage culvert and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing lift strut, the rudder and the vertical stabilizer. The METAR at the accident airport reported that about the time of the accident, the wind was from 240° at 27 kts and gusting to 40 kts. The manufacturer's pilot operating handbook specified that the maximum demonstrated crosswind component during takeoff or landing was 15 knots. The calculated crosswind component for the specified conditions was 29 knots. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the landing roll on runway 30, about 10 miles per hour, in gusting wind conditions, the airplane exited the right side of the runway and collided with a drainage culvert and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing lift strut, the rudder and the vertical stabilizer. The METAR at the accident airport reported that about the time of the accident, the wind was from 240° at 27kts and gusting to 40kts. The manufacture's pilot operating handbook specified that the maximum demonstrated crosswind component during takeoff or landing was 15 knots. The calculated crosswind component for the specified conditions was 29 knots. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N13453
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (M)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17262763
- Built
- 1973
- Airframe hours
- 7,726
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bell Ornithopters Flying Club Inc
- Registered owner
- Bell Ornithopters Flying Club Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 8, 2018
- Departed
- LMO · Longmont, CO
- Destination
- BJC · Broomfield, CO
- Airport
- BJC · Rocky Mountain Metropolitan, runway 30L, 7,002 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 8, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 234 total · 200 in this make and model · 139 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 240° at 27 knots, gusting 40
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Temperature
- 41 °F, dew point 9 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.80 inHg
- Observed at
- KBJC, 1 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 5, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.2 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.