- Date
- July 28, 2018, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Wadsworth, OH
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4855GCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180728018219A
- Case key
- 97933
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 during landing.
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 during a telephone interview that, while landing in variable wind conditions, his approach speed was fast, and that during the landing roll, the wind pushed the airplane off the runway to the right. He added that he did not apply full braking action. The pilot further stated that, during the landing roll, a strong crosswind gust pushed the airplane off the right side of the runway into bushes. He described the wind as variable and gusting but did not report the wind speed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation station located about 10 miles south-southwest from the airport reported that, about 34 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 290° at 8 knots. The same automated station reported that, about 26 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 310° at 5 knots. The airplane landed on runway 3.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported during a telephone interview that, while landing in variable wind conditions, his approach speed was fast, and that during the landing roll, the wind pushed the airplane off the runway to the right. He added that he did not apply full braking action. The pilot reiterated on the NTSB Form 6120.1 that, during the landing roll, a strong crosswind gust pushed the airplane off the right side of the runway into bushes. He described the wind as variable and gusting but did not report the wind speed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation station located about 10 miles south-southwest from the airport reported that, about 34 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 290° at 8 knots. The same automated station reported that, about 26 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 310° at 5 knots. The airplane landed on runway 3.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4855G
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (N)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17273402
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 1,554.6
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 2017
- Departed
- 15G · Wadsworth, OH
- Destination
- PCW · Port Clinton, OH
- Airport
- 15G · Weltzien Skypark, runway 03, 2,410 × 37 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Stall warning system, Auto-pilot, Handheld GPS
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
- 82
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,700 ft broken
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- KBJJ, 10 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 22, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.9 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.