- Date
- July 12, 2003, 13:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Dyer, NV
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N22897Cessna 150H
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 3, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20030712014159A
- Case key
- 57492
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 inadequate compensation for the gusting crosswind conditions and failure to maintain directional control.
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.
Analysis
During landing rollout a wind gust was encountered, which resulted in the pilot losing control of the airplane and it swerving off the runway. The airplane came to rest in sand, in a nose down attitude. According to the pilot, as he approached his home base airport the turbulence intensity was "approaching severe," and the wind was variable in direction and gusty. Upon landing and decelerating to between 40 and 45 miles per hour, a very strong gust of wind was experienced that was from about 90 degrees left of his course. The pilot indicated that he lost control of his airplane when it was "weather-vaned" off the runway and into the soft sand.
Factual narrative
On July 12, 2003, about 1330 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 150H, N22897, owned and operated by the pilot, encountered a wind gust during landing on runway 30 at Dyer, Nevada. The airplane was substantially damaged. The commercial pilot and passenger received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the personal flight, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was performed under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91, and originated from Reno, Nevada, about 1230.
The pilot reported that approaching Dyer, his home base airport, the turbulence intensity was "approaching severe," and the wind was variable in direction and gusty. As the pilot flew over the airport the wind sock indicated that the wind was from about 280 degrees, at 10 knots with gusts to 35 knots.
The pilot indicated that he had about 2,060 hours of flight time, of which 360 were in the accident model of airplane. The pilot reported that the prevailing wind was well within his and his airplane's capability to handle.
The pilot reported that upon landing, the airplane initially rolled straight down the runway as it slowed to between 40 and 45 miles per hour. Suddenly, a very strong gust of wind was experienced that was from about 90 degrees left of his course. The pilot indicated that he lost control of the airplane as it "weather-vaned" him off the runway and into the sand in a nose down attitude.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N22897
- Reported as
- Cessna 150H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15068598
- Airframe hours
- 1,883
- Engine
- Continental O-200A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Richard Tremaine
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 1, 2003 · 21 hours before
- Departed
- RNO · Reno, NV
- Destination
- 2Q9 · Dyer, NV
- Airport
- 2Q9 · Dyer, runway 30, 2,870 × 60 ft, dirt
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
- 69
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- June 1, 2002
- Flight hours
- 2,060 total · 360 in this make and model · 2,060 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 12 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 97 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- TPH, 51 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.