- Date
- April 11, 1998, 14:19 local (21:19 UTC)
- Place
- Scottsdale, AZ
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N73405Cessna 172M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980411006539A
- Case key
- 30067
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 failure to maintain directional control and his inadequate compensation for the wind condition. A contributing factor was the crosswind.
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 reported that, after initial touchdown, the airplane bounced back into the air and a strong gust of wind pushed it sideways. He then attempted to go-around but a second gust pushed the airplane toward a steel tower. The pilot then banked the airplane to the right to miss the tower and flew into an unoccupied construction trailer. At the time of landing, the crosswind component for the runway was approximately 19 knots, which is 4 knots above the limit stated by Cessna Aircraft Company for the model 172.
Factual narrative
On April 11, 1998, at 1419 hours mountain standard time, a Cessna 172M, N73405, was destroyed during a landing attempt when it impacted a construction trailer located approximately 200 yards west of runway 21 at Scottsdale Airport, Scottsdale, Arizona. There were minor injuries to the pilot and two passengers. The aircraft is owned by Desert Coast Aviation, Inc., of Scottsdale, and was operated by the licensed private pilot. The flight departed from Eloy, Arizona, on a visual flight to Scottsdale. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
The pilot reported that, after initial touchdown, the airplane bounced back into the air and a strong gust of wind pushed it sideways. He then attempted to go-around but a second gust pushed the airplane toward a steel tower. The pilot then banked the airplane to the right to miss the tower and flew into an unoccupied construction trailer.
At the time of the accident, the surface wind was variable around 140 degrees magnetic at 15 knots with gusts to 20 knots. Using the gust factor of 20 knots and a wind direction of 140 degrees, the crosswind component for runway 21 at the time of the accident was calculated to be 19 knots. According to Cessna Flight Test Engineering, the maximum crosswind component for the 172 model is 15 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N73405
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17267434
- Airframe hours
- 2,607
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Desert Coast Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 19, 1998 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- E60 · Eloy, AZ
- Destination
- SDL
- Airport
- SDL · Scottsdale, runway 21, 8,251 × 75 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
- 21
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 207 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KSD, 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.
Other investigations on N73405 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.