- Date
- April 10, 2004, 13:56 local (17:56 UTC)
- Place
- Bridgeport, CT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6583DCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20040410005719A
- Case key
- 59035
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 wind conditions and his failure to maintain aircraft control which resulted in a hard landing. A factor was the gusty winds.
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 about 20 feet above runway 28 during landing, when the airplane encountered a wind gust which blew it off the left side of the centerline. The pilot realigned the airplane with the centerline when a second gust "ballooned" it up and then "slammed" it back down onto the runway. The nose wheel tire "popped," subsequently collapsing the nose gear assembly. The propeller struck the ground, buckling the firewall. The pilot reported no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane. He also reported 142 hours of total flight experience, 3 of which were in make and model. The winds were reported to be from 280 degrees at 13 knots, gusting to 20 knots.
Factual narrative
On April 10, 2004, at 1356 eastern daylight time, N6583D, a Cessna 172N, was substantially damaged during landing at the Igor Sikorsky Memorial Airport (BDR), Bridgeport, Connecticut. The certificated private pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight. The local personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, he was about 20 feet above runway 28 during landing, when the airplane encountered a wind gust which blew it off the left side of the centerline. The pilot realigned the airplane with the centerline when a second gust "ballooned" it up and then "slammed" it back down onto the runway. The nose wheel tire "popped," subsequently collapsing the nose gear assembly. The propeller struck the ground, buckling the firewall.
The pilot reported no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane. He also reported 142 hours of total flight experience, 3 of which were in make and model.
The winds reported at 1354, at BDR, were from 280 degrees at 13 knots, gusting to 20 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6583D
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17272876
- Airframe hours
- 6,591
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Three Wing Flying Service
- Registered owner
- N6583d LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 4, 2004 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- BDR · Bridgeport, CT
- Destination
- BDR
- Airport
- BDR · Igor Sikorsky Memorial Airport, runway 29, 4,761 × 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
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 142 total · 3 in this make and model · 67 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 13 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- BDR
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.