- Date
- May 30, 2019, 19:00 local (May 31, 2019, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Festus, MO
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N11823Cessna 177
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190530005439A
- Case key
- 99656
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 improper landing flare and failure to maintain pitch control with a crosswind, which resulted in a hard landing and a tail strike.
Findings · 3
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 landing, the airplane "caught a crosswind" and became airborne again. The airplane touched back down and veered right off the runway into grass. The pilot was able to get the airplane back onto the runway and taxied to park without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The Federal Aviation Administrator inspector reported that the airplane damage was associated with a hard landing, including a tail strike. He added that further evidence of a tail strike was noted on the bottom side of the tail underneath the vertical stabilizer. An automated weather observation station located about 25 miles from the accident site reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 260° at 7 knots. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 1.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during landing, the airplane "caught a crosswind" and became airborne again. The airplane touched back down and veered off the runway to the right into the grass. The pilot was able to get the airplane back onto the runway and taxied to park without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The Federal Aviation Administrator inspector reported that the airplane damage was consistent with a hard landing, including a tail strike. He added that further evidence of a tail strike was noted on the bottom side of the tail underneath the vertical stabilizer.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N11823
- Reported as
- Cessna 177 (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17702370
- Built
- 1975
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360 SER, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Fenton Flyers Inc
- Registered owner
- Fenton Flyers Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- FES · Festus, MO
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- FES · Festus Memorial, runway 01, 2,202 × 49 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 71
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 19, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 736 total · 12.3 in this make and model · 2.5 in the last 90 days · 0.8 in the last 30 days · 0.2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.82 inHg
- Observed at
- KCPS, 25 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 9, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.6 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.