- Date
- November 13, 2003, 08:25 local (13:25 UTC)
- Place
- Islip, NY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N5329TCessna 172E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 29, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20031113035939A
- Case key
- 58450
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 aircraft control, which resulted in a nose over. A factor in this accident was the gusty wind conditions.
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, who was also an airframe and powerplant mechanic, stated that an annual inspection had just been completed on the airplane, which included an engine change. He checked the automated terminal information service weather, which reported winds from 280 degrees at 20 knots. He then received a clearance to taxi to runway 28, with the intention of conducting an engine run-up and a possible test flight. The pilot was approaching the end of runway 15R, when he applied brakes. As the airplane came to a stop, a gust of wind began to raise the tail, and the airplane nosed over. The pilot reported 1,859 hours of total flight experience, which included 800 hours in the same make and model of the accident airplane. Winds reported at the airport about a half-hour prior to the accident, were from 280 degrees at 26 knots, with 37 knot gusts. Winds reported about a half-hour after the accident, were from 280 degrees at 24 knots, with 33 knot gusts.
Factual narrative
On November 13, 2003, about 0825 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172E, N5329T, was substantially damaged while taxiing at the Long Island Mac Arthur Airport (ISP), Islip, New York. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the local maintenance test flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot, who was also an airframe and powerplant mechanic, stated that an annual inspection had just been completed on the airplane, which included an engine change. He checked the automated terminal information service weather, which reported winds from 280 degrees at 20 knots. He then received a clearance to taxi to runway 28, with the intention of conducting an engine run-up and a possible test flight. The pilot was approaching the end of runway 15R, when he applied brakes. As the airplane came to a stop, a gust of wind began to raise the tail, and the airplane nosed over.
The pilot did not report any mechanical failures; however, he stated that the nose landing gear strut was not properly serviced, which resulted in higher tail position.
The pilot reported 1,859 hours of total flight experience, which included 800 hours in the same make and model of the accident airplane.
Winds reported at ISP about a half-hour prior to the accident, were from 280 degrees at 26 knots, with 37 knot gusts. Winds reported about a half-hour after the accident, were from 280 degrees at 24 knots, with 33 knot gusts.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5329T
- Reported as
- Cessna 172E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17251229
- Airframe hours
- 2,910
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Kenneth L. Short
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 12, 2003 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- ISP · Islip, NY
- Airport
- ISP · Long Island Mac Arthur, runway 28, 5,036 × 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
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight engineer, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- July 15, 2003
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,859 total · 800 in this make and model · 1,500 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 24 knots, gusting 33
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.37 inHg
- Observed at
- ISP
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 N5329T · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.