- Date
- October 9, 1994, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Center Harbor, NH
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N733MVCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 14, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19941009048469A
- Case key
- 38879
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 a crosswind condition.
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
After the pilot departed from the seaplane base in the rented float plane, he made one en route stop at another lake, then landed at his destination lake. At the destination lake he gave local scenic rides to friends. At the completion of the last flight, he established a southerly final approach to the cove. While landing with a known gusting right crosswind, the left wing contacted the water causing the airplane to ground loop, and the subsequent left wing damage. Winds reported from an airport 8 miles south were from 210 degrees at 12 knots, with gusts to 17. The pilot's total flight time was reported to be about 131 hours, with approximately 40 hours in float plane operation.
Factual narrative
On October 9, 1994, at 1430 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172N, float plane, owned by Turner Aviation Company, Inc., and piloted by Robert Rose, was substantially damaged while landing on Lake Winnipesaukee, near Center Harbor, New Hampshire. The pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the flight operating under 14 CFR 91.
In the NTSB 6120.1/2, the pilot stated that the flight had originated that day at 1130, from a sea plane base in Turner, Maine. He landed on Thompson Lake, Maine and changed passengers. He departed Thompson Lake and arrived at Lake Winnipesaukee about 1300. He then proceeded to give friends scenic rides around the lake. At the completion of the third ride he was returning to land on the lake.
The pilot further stated that during the first approach, he went around due to boat traffic in his landing area and established a second approach to land in the cove from north to south. The winds were from the southwest, "swirling and gusty." He used the southerly direction due to the narrowness of the cove. On final approach during the flare, with a right crosswind, a gust of wind caused the left wing to contact the water, which resulted in a left spin in the water.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector's report, the winds were reported to be "strong from the south with gusts over 20 knots."
The winds reports at an airport on the lake, 8 miles south of the accident site, were from 210 degrees at 12 knots, with gusts to 17.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N733MV
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17268405
- Airframe hours
- 3,977
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Turner Aviation Co. Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 18, 1994
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
- 37
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 131 total · 40 in this make and model · 94 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 12 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LCI, 8 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.