- Date
- December 26, 1991, 10:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Kamuela, HI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N79948Cessna 172K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 23, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911226057519A
- Case key
- 27524
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 pilots encounter with a wind gust beyond the ground handling capability of the aircraft and his failure to obtain preflight weather information.
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
At the time of the accident the tower was reporting winds at 20 knots with gusts to 42 knots. The preceding hourly weather report noted the winds as variable in direction at 30 knots with gusts to 44 knots. FAA facility records indicate that the pilot did not obtain a preflight weather briefing prior to the cross country flight. The pilot was taxiing in from landing toward the ramp area when a gust of wind began to pick up the right wing. The pilot shut down the aircraft, ran over to the right wing strut and was holding the wing down. A second and stronger gust of wind pushed the aircraft over onto its back.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N79948
- Reported as
- Cessna 172K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17258275
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Peter P. Rowe
- Registered owner
- Rowe & Rowe
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- OOG · Maui, HI
- Destination
- MUE · Kamuela, HI
- Airport
- Waimea
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 900 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 20 knots, gusting 42
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MUE, 1 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.