- Date
- March 19, 2000, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- New Brighton, PA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N6261ECessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000319043719A
- Case key
- 48811
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 gusty wind conditions. A factor was the windshear encountered on final approach.
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 was making an approach towards the east, to an east-west, 1,500-foot grass airstrip. The airstrip was located in an area of rolling hills and valleys. The approach was flown over a valley, with the final segment flown over an up-slope of a hill. The runway threshold was on top of that hill. On short final, the airplane encountered windshear. The pilot added full power and pitched nose-up to initiate a go-around. However, the airplane descended rapidly, hit treetops, then 'mushed' into the ground about 20 feet short of the runway. Winds, recorded about 5 nautical miles away, were from 120 degrees true, at 16, gusting to 30 knots. The seven previous hourly observations included winds at 18 to 20 knots, with six of those having gusts at or above 30 knots. The pilot had about 9,000 hours of flight time, and was a captain for a major air cargo carrier.
Factual narrative
On March 19, 2000, about 1500 Eastern Standard Time, a Cessna 172, N6261E, was substantially damaged during an approach to Black Rock Airport (PA234), New Brighton, Pennsylvania. The certificated airline transport pilot and his two passengers were uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed for the personal flight, conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot stated that the airplane was making an approach after a local-area flight, towards the east, to an east-west grass airstrip. The wind appeared to be steady, down the runway. On final approach, wind conditions became "choppy", and, "on very short final, reducing speed for short field landing, [the] wind sheared downward. Also, wind velocity went to zero. Aircraft was forced downward." As the pilot felt the downward force, he added full power and pitched nose-up to initiate a go-around. However, the airplane continued to sink rapidly, caught treetops, then "mushed" into the ground about 20 feet short of the runway.
The runway was about 1,500 feet in length, and 75 feet wide. The approach was flown over a valley, with the final segment flown over an up-slope of a hill. The runway threshold was on top of that hill.
A weather observation at the approximate time of the accident, at an airport about 5 nautical miles away, included winds from 120 degrees true, at 16, gusting to 30 knots. The seven previous hourly observations included winds at 18 to 20 knots, with six of those having gusts at or above 30 knots.
The pilot had about 9,000 hours of flight time, and was a captain for a major air cargo carrier.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6261E
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 46361
- Airframe hours
- 5,158
- Engine
- Continental O-300, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- George R. Lapic
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 18, 2000 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- P234
- Airport
- P234 · Black Rock Airport, runway 10, 1,500 × 75 ft, grass/turf
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
- 38
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 9,000 total · 200 in this make and model · 160 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 16 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BVI, 5 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 N6261E · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.