# NTSB LAX02LA068: Cessna 206H, N72635, Mammoth Lakes, CA, January 22, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: January 21, 2002, 16:30 local (Jan 22, 2002, 00:30 UTC) - Place: Mammoth Lakes, CA - Coordinates: 37.623889, -118.837776 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.6239&lon=-118.8378&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report September 29, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 54089 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX02LA068 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/54089/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54089 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX02LA068 ## Probable cause the pilot's inadequate compensation for the gusty crosswind conditions, which resulted in a loss of aircraft control and nose over during landing roll. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - on ground/water, landing - roll - weather condition - gusts - weather condition - crosswind - compensation for wind conditions - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - directional control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing - roll - terrain condition - snowbank - Nose over, landing - roll ## Analysis The airplane impacted a snow bank and nosed over after the pilot lost control of the airplane during a landing roll in 45-knot gusty crosswind conditions. According to the pilot, he obtained numerous weather updates prior to departing and during the flight. All of the reports included notification of gusty wind conditions. The pilot obtained one more wind report prior to landing on runway 27, which informed him that the wind was from 210 degrees at 25 knots with gusts to 45 knots. The pilot continued with the landing and during the rollout, at 30 knots, a gust of wind lifted the left wing, blowing the airplane to the right into a snow bank. The pilot reported placing the control yoke in the full aft position (up elevator) after the original upset, when the airplane was encountering a tailwind condition. The airplane then hit the snow bank and nosed over. The airplane's Pilot Operating Handbook instructs pilots to put the elevator in a down position when encountering a tailwind condition. A review of the Airport/Facility Directory, Southwest U. S., revealed a caution to pilots regarding gusty wind conditions and wind shear. ## Factual narrative On January 21, 2002, at 1630 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 206H, N72635, impacted a snow bank and nosed over during landing rollout at Mammoth Yosemite Airport, Mammoth Lakes, California. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The pilot was operating the airplane on a cross-country personal flight under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan had not been filed. The flight originated at Santa Ana, California, at 1415, and was destined for Mammoth Lakes. According to the pilot, at 0915, and prior to departing Santa Ana, he contacted the Federal Aviation Administration Riverside Flight Service Station (FSS) for a standard preflight weather briefing. Bishop, California, the nearest official weather reporting facility located 27 miles southeast of the destination airport, was reporting visual conditions with surface winds of 20 knots gusting to 35 knots, calming through the afternoon. At 1300, the pilot again contacted the Riverside FSS to verify that the weather was visual flight conditions. He received notice that the Mammoth Automated Surface Observation System (ASOS) was reporting surface winds from 210 degrees at 14 knots with gusts to 24 knots. At 1600, about 20 miles south of Mammoth, the pilot received the current ASOS, which was reporting the winds from 210 degrees at 25 knots gusting to 45. It further reported that runway 27 was in use and to avoid landing on the first 3,000 feet due to crosswinds. The pilot crabbed into the wind as he overflew the first 3,000 feet of runway 27. As he slowed to about 30 knots on the runway with crosswind control aileron input, a crosswind gust lifted the left wing. The airplane turned into a snow covered embankment. The pilot applied "full back pressure on the yoke to keep the nose from digging in," but the gusting wind lifted the tail up and over the top. The airplane came to rest in an inverted position in the snow. A review of the Airport/Facility Directory, Southwest U.S., revealed the following in the remarks section of Mammoth Yosemite Airport: "Airport located in mountainous terrain with occasional strong winds and turbulence with southerly crosswinds in excess of 15 knots, expect turbulence and possible windshear along first 3,000 feet of runway 27." A review of the Cessna 206 Pilot Operating Handbook revealed a taxiing diagram under the Normal Procedures section. According to the taxiing diagram, when the airplane encountered the tailwind condition after being blown to the right, the pilot should have placed a down elevator control input, not an up elevator input. According to the pilot, he accumulated at total of 400 flight hours, of which approximately 31 hours were in the accident airplane make and model. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N72635](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N72635-2012-03-23), registration cancelled 2012-03-23, S/N 20608065 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 206H - Registry model: [Cessna 206H](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-206h) (registry code 2073301) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (registry code 41530, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 20608065 - Airframe hours: 720.2 - Engines: Lycoming IO-540-AC1A5 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Lenair Aviation - Registered owner: DMH Air - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, November 12, 2001, 84.8 hours before - Departed: SNA, Santa Ana, CA - Destination: MMH, Mammoth Lakes, CA - Airport: MMH, Mammoth Yosemite, runway 27, 7,000 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 22; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review October 5, 2001; seat: left; flight hours: 400 total, 31 in this make and model, 371 as pilot in command, 63 in the last 90 days, 13 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 230° at 26 knots, gusting 42 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 37 °F, dew point 46 °F - Altimeter: 29.89 inHg - Observed at: MMH ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20020121000579A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020121000579A), Jan 21, 2002: Cessna 206H, Mammoth Lakes, CA, No damage. (.19) On January 21, 2002, at 1630 hours pacific standard time, a Cessna 206H, N72635, was substantially damaged during landing rollout at Mammoth Lakes… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 16, 2004, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54089. 1.2 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 358 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40380546&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Wind Information (item 2, .PDF, 32 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40213488&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Wind%20Information-Master.PDF - POH Taxi Diagram (item 3, .PDF, 173 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40213489&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=POH%20Taxi%20Diagram-Master.PDF - Airport/Facility Directory - Southwest U.S. Excerpt (item 4, .PDF, 682 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40213490&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Airport%2FFacility%20Directory%20-%20Southwest%20U.S.%20Excerpt-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.