- Date
- July 2, 2002, 10:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sweetgrass, MT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3387YCessna 182 E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 30, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Helena FSDO
- FAA report
- 20020702018509A
- Case key
- 55113
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 adequately compensate for wind conditions after encountering a crosswind gust during the landing roll. Factors include gusty crosswinds, and a fence in the vicinity of the runway.
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 landing his aircraft in gusty crosswinds, was able to successfully touch down near the center of the runway, but soon thereafter encountered a gust that was stronger than he had expected. After encountering the gust, the aircraft started drifting toward the right side of the runway, and because the pilot was unable to maintain directional control, it eventually departed the runway surface. After leaving the runway, the aircraft impacted a nearby fence and sustained substantial damage.
Factual narrative
On July 2, 2002, approximately 1000 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 182E, N3387Y, impacted a fence during the landing roll at Sweetgrass Airport (Ross International), Sweetgrass, Montana. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured, but the aircraft, which is owned and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal pleasure flight, which departed Great Falls, Montana, about one hour prior to the accident, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions. The aircraft had been on a VFR flight plan. There was no report of an ELT activation.
In a telephone conversation with an NTSB investigator, the pilot said that although he was landing in a crosswind, he was able to successfully touch down near the center of the runway. But, during the initial part of the landing roll, the aircraft encountered a crosswind gust that was stronger than he had expected. After encountering the gust, the aircraft started veering toward the right side of the runway, and the pilot was unable to maintain directional control. After departing the side of the runway, the aircraft impacted a fence and sustained substantial damage.
According to the pilot, there did not appear to be any mechanical malfunctions or failures in either the aircrafts structure or flight controls.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3387Y
- Reported as
- Cessna 182 E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18254387
- Airframe hours
- 5,135
- Engine
- Continental O-470-R, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Fred E. Vestal
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 3, 2002 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- GTF · Great Falls, MT
- Destination
- 7S8 · Sweetgrass, MT
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 7S8 · Ross International, runway 25, 2,900 × 80 ft, grass/turf
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
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- January 28, 2002
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 396 total · 18 in this make and model · 18 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 9, 2003, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 385 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.