- Date
- August 16, 2002, 13:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Missoula, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N72594Cessna 120
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 8, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20020816023449A
- Case key
- 55520
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 the wind conditions during the landing roll. Delayed remedial action and a high crosswind condition were factors.
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 landing the aircraft in known high crosswind conditions. During the approach, the pilot stated that he had nearly full right aileron control and nearly full left rudder control applied to maintain runway alignment. The pilot stated, "I tried to do a 1 wheel, wheel landing. This is done by immediately applying forward pressure to the control column when the 1 wheel contacts the runway." When the pilot did this, the airplane bounced and continued to bounce for about 1,000 feet before he decided to abort the landing. When the pilot applied back pressure and power, he lost control of the airplane. The left wing contacted the ground and the airplane cart wheeled, substantially damaging both wings.
Factual narrative
On August 16, 2002, approximately 1330 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 120, N72594, registered to and operated by the pilot as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, lost control of the aircraft during the landing roll and cart wheeled at Missoula International Airport, Missoula, Montana. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft was substantially damaged and the commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated from Butte, Montana, about one hour and 30 minutes prior to the accident.
During a telephone interview and subsequent written statement, the pilot reported that he had just purchased this aircraft and was flying it from Butte to his home base in Moses Lake, Washington. A stop in Missoula was made for fueling. The pilot stated that he was landing on runway 29 with a known high cross-wind condition (30 to 35 knots and 45 degrees to the runway heading) as the tower controller was informing the pilot of the wind condition during his approach. The pilot reported that during the approach he had nearly full right aileron control and nearly full left rudder control applied to maintain runway alignment. The pilot stated, "I tried to do a 1 wheel, wheel landing. This is done by immediately applying forward pressure to the control column when the 1 wheel contacts the runway." When the pilot did this, the airplane bounced and continued to bounce for about 1,000 feet before he decided to abort the landing. When the pilot applied back pressure and power, he lost control of the airplane. The left wing contacted the ground and the airplane cart wheeled, substantially damaging both wings.
The Missoula surface weather observation reported at 1335 indicated winds from 360 degrees at 16 knots, gusting to 23 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N72594
- Reported as
- Cessna 120
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 9766
- Airframe hours
- 4,118
- Engine
- Continental O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ronald S. Piercy
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 10, 2001 · 80 hours before
- Departed
- BTM · Butte, MT
- Destination
- MSO · Missoula, MT
- Airport
- MSO · Missoula International, runway 29, 9,501 × 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
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- August 9, 2002
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,460 total · 10 in this make and model · 52 in the last 90 days · 26 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 16 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- MSO
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.