- Date
- March 29, 1998, 11:20 local (16:20 UTC)
- Place
- Plainville, CT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9821LCessna 172P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 8, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980329004529A
- Case key
- 39545
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 crosswind compensation.
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
On the pilot's second attempt to land on Runway 2, he established the airplane on final with 20 degrees of flaps and 65 knots of airspeed. The airplane touched down then floated back up approximately 3 feet above the runway. The pilot let the airplane settle back onto the runway while applying full left aileron and full right ruder. The airplane departed the runway, nose pointed slightly right of centerline then traveled down a 60-degree embankment, striking a chain link fence and coming to rest upright.
Factual narrative
On March 29, 1998, at 1120 Eastern Standard Time, a Cessna 172P, N9821L, was substantially damaged during a crosswind landing to Runway 02 at Robertson Field Airport (4B8), Plainville, Connecticut. The certificated private pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight that originated from Newport, Rhode Island, approximately 1025. No flight plan was filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot: upon reaching 4B8, he did a "midfield fly over to establish the winds." The winds were determined to be a direct crosswind for runway 02/20. After entering the traffic pattern and positioning the airplane on final for Runway 02, he executed a go-around at 200 feet Above Ground Level (AGL) because of an excessive lateral drift. On his second attempt to land at 4B8, he established the airplane on final with 20 degrees of flaps, and 65 knots of airspeed. He "touched down OK," then the airplane started to float, approximately 3 feet above the runway. He let the airplane settle back onto the runway while applying full left aileron and full right ruder. The airplane then departed the runway with the nose "pointed slightly right of centerline." After exiting the runway, the airplane traveled down a 60-degree embankment, struck a chain link fence, then came to rest upright.
The pilot stated he encountered no mechanical problems with the airplane. The pilot's total flight experience was 158 hours, with 103 hours in Cessna 172Ps.
Winds at an airport approximately 10 miles to the southwest of 4B8 were reported, 270 degrees at 16 knots, gust to 21 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9821L
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172P76622
- Airframe hours
- 8,291
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Interstate Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 17, 1998 · 45 hours before
- Departed
- UUU · Newport, RI
- Destination
- 4B8 · CT
- Airport
- 4B8 · Robertson Field, runway 2, 3,612 × 75 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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 158 total · 102 in this make and model · 106 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 16 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HFD, 10 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.
Other investigations on N9821L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.