- Date
- July 4, 2004, 17:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Wellsboro, PA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N10DJCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 28, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20040704022099A
- Case key
- 59763
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions and his failure to maintain directional control. A factor was the crosswind.
Analysis
The pilot entered the traffic pattern and executed a landing. After touchdown on runway 28, the airplane veered off the right side of the runway, then impacted a bail of hay, and came to a stop. According to a weather report from an airport 35 nautical miles northwest, the winds were from 160 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 25 knots.
Factual narrative
On July 4, 2004, about 1700 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N10DJ, was substantially damaged during landing at Grand Canyon Airport (N38), Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the airplane was not operating on a flight plan. The personal flight, which departed Cherry Springs Airport (5G6), Galeton, Pennsylvania, at 1650, for Flying W Airport (N14), Lumberton, New Jersey, was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to a written statement submitted by the pilot, he obtained several weather briefings prior to departing from Cherry Springs. While en route, the weather began to deteriorate, so the pilot elected to land at Grand Canyon Airport. Prior to landing, the pilot circled the field to view the windsock and also spoke to another pilot on the radio regarding the wind speed and direction. The pilot entered the traffic pattern and executed a landing on runway 28. Due to the crosswind, he elected not to use full flaps. Upon touchdown, the pilot applied the brakes; however, "the crosswind picked up and ushered [the airplane] off the side of the runway." The airplane continued to slow on the grass strip adjacent the right side and parallel to the runway, then impacted an "unavoidable" bail of hay, and came to a stop. The pilot did not report any mechanical abnormalities with the airplane.
The weather reported at Wellsville Municipal Airport (ELZ), Wellsville, New York, about 35 nautical miles northwest, at 1710, included winds from 160 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 25 knots, 8 statute miles visibility, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet, broken clouds at 3,300 feet, broken clouds at 4,100 feet, temperature 75 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 66 degrees Fahrenheit, and a barometric pressure of 29.86 inches of mercury.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N10DJ
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17272248
- Airframe hours
- 3,064.8
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Cave Flight School LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 16, 2004 · 42.7 hours before
- Departed
- 5G6 · Galeton, PA
- Destination
- N14 · Lumberton, NJ
- Airport
- N38 · Grand Canyon Airport, runway 28, 3,600 × 60 ft, asphalt
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
- 39
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Invalid Medical for flight
- Last flight review
- August 4, 2004
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 371 total · 200 in this make and model · 342 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,300 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.86 inHg
- Observed at
- ELZ, 35 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.