- Date
- March 18, 1993, 19:15 local (Mar 19, 1993, 02:15 UTC)
- Place
- Chandler, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N3211UCessna 182F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed · report November 15, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930318005649A
- Case key
- 27948
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 weather evaluation resulting in an inadvertent encounter with gusty wind conditions while taxiing.
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
The pilot said he intended to perform some night practice takeoffs and landing at the airport. He said that the weather conditions throughout the day had been normal and the winds at the airport when he arrived were calm. During the downwind and base legs of the first traffic pattern the pilot said that he observed 'dust being kicked up to the north and east of the airport.' He reported that the first sign of turbulence began on final, and during the landing roll out he became aware of gusty surface winds and decided to terminate the flight. The pilot said that after landing and while taxiing to his parking spot, a sudden and very strong gust of wind blew the aircraft over onto its back. Ground witnesses at the airport reported observing isolated thunderstorm activity in the general area and that at the time of the accident a strong gust of wind swept over the airport.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3211U
- Reported as
- Cessna 182F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18254611
- Engine
- Continental O-470L, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James N. Fordemwalt
- Registered owner
- James N. Fordemwalt
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 25, 1992
- Departed
- P10
- Destination
- P10
- Airport
- P10 · Chandler Muni, runway 22, 4,700 × 150 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
- 60
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 989 total · 625 in this make and model · 953 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- 320° at 30 knots, gusting 70
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N3211U · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.