- Date
- November 28, 1994, 13:33 local (18:33 UTC)
- Place
- Niagra Falls, NY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N104CTCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 26, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 38904
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 weather evaluation and the on ground encounter with 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 reported that he was holding short of and perpendicular to runway 24 when the airpplane encountered a wind gust and rolled over. The pilot indicated he had noticed the winds were increasing and he was just about to request clearance to taxi back to the ramp. According to the pilot, '...[the] wind move[d] [the] airplane side ways, then cartwheeled it on [the] right wing, flipping it over....' At the time of the accident the winds were reported to be 025 degrees at 25 knots, with gusts to 48 knots.
Factual narrative
On November 28, 1994, at 1333 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172N, N104CT, owned and piloted by Harold Hawly, was substantially damaged while taxiing at the Niagara Falls Airport, Niagara Falls, New York. The pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The flight was operated under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot was taxiing the airplane to runway 24, and had turned onto a taxiway that was perpendicular to the runway. The airplane encountered a gust wind, and flipped over. At the time of the accident the winds were reported to be 025 degrees at 25 knots, with gusts to 48 knots.
According to the pilot's statement on the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, he was holding at the side of runway 24, when the wind gusts started to intensify. The pilot wrote that he was getting ready to notify the tower he wanted to return, and park when the, "...wind move[d] [the] airplane side ways then cartwheeled it on [the] right wing flipping it over...."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N104CT
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17267671
- Airframe hours
- 1,880
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Harold Hawly
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 13, 1994 · 20 hours before
- Destination
- BKL · Cleveland, OH
- Airport
- IAG · Niagara Falls, runway 24, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,244 total · 900 in this make and model · 1,197 as pilot in command · 39 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 25° at 25 knots, gusting 48
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IAG