- Date
- August 16, 2003, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Glens Falls, NY
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9673BCessna 172RG
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 25, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Albany
- FAA report
- 20030816020099A
- Case key
- 57740
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 control during the flare/touchdown, which resulted in a hard landing. Factors in this accident were wind gusts and the pilot's improper decision to land during thunderstorm activity.
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
While on approach to the airport, the pilot encountered a thunderstorm cell, and elected to utilize runway 30, a 4,000-foot-long, 100-foot-wide, asphalt runway. The pilot said he approached at a faster airspeed in expectation of crosswinds or wind shear. Upon touchdown, the aircraft was picked up from the front left quarter by a wind gust and landed hard. The airplane sustained damage to the propeller, firewall, nose gear and lower portions of the fuselage. The pilot did not experience any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. A weather observation taken at the airport, about the time of the accident, included winds from 270 at 6 knots, visibility 3 miles with light rain and mist. The remarks section of the observation included lightning in the distance east, southwest, and west of the airport.
Factual narrative
On August 16, 2003, about 1430 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172RG, N9673B, was substantially damaged while landing at the Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport, Glens Falls, New York. The certificated private pilot and two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the local flight. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
In a written statement, the pilot said he was on approach to runway 19, when he encountered a thunderstorm cell and was advised by another pilot to utilized runway 30, a 4,000-foot-long, 100-foot-wide, asphalt runway. The pilot further stated:
"I made the approach to [runway] 30 faster (75-80 knots) in expectation of crosswinds or wind shear. Upon touchdown the aircraft was picked up from the front left quarter by a wind gust. While maintaining control of the aircraft, I could not avoid the resulting hard landing...."
The airplane sustained damage to the propeller, firewall, nose gear and lower portions of the fuselage.
The pilot stated that he did not experience any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.
A weather observation taken at the airport, about the time of the accident, included winds from 270 at 6 knots, visibility 3 miles with light rain and mist. The remarks section of the observation included lightning in the distance east, southwest, and west of the airport.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9673B
- Reported as
- Cessna 172RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172RG0960
- Airframe hours
- 6,240
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-F1AG, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Michael R. Juliano
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 6, 2003 · 32 hours before
- Departed
- GFL · Glens Falls, NY
- Destination
- GFL · Glens Falls, NY
- Airport
- GFL · Warren County, runway 30, 4,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 435 total · 156 in this make and model · 368 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.73 inHg
- Observed at
- GFL
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.