- Date
- March 30, 1997, 13:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Auburn, WA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N5115KCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 30, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970330018789A
- Case key
- 42578
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
the pilots' inadequate evaluation of the strong winds, when they attempted to turn to taxi with a very strong tailwind. Factors relating to the accident included the high and unfavorable winds.
Analysis
After landing in strong crosswinds, the flight instructor (CFI), receiving a flight review, turned off the active runway to taxi to the ramp. When turning off the runway to the east, away from the prevailing winds, the two CFI's found the winds too excessive to taxi, and decided to turn into the wind again. Before completing the turn, the winds picked up the tail. The airplane nosed over, sustaining damage to the right wing, vertical fin, rudder, and tailcone.
Factual narrative
On March 30, 1997, approximately 1300 Pacific standard time, N5115K, a Cessna 172, sustained substantial damage when it nosed over in strong winds while taxiing from the active runway at Auburn, Washington. The certified flight instructor and his student, who was a non-current certified flight instructor taking a biannual flight review, were uninjured in the accident. No flight plan was filed for the flight, which was conducted in visual meteorological conditions. The flight had departed Auburn about 1210. The ELT was not actuated.
The flight instructor stated that after departure, they had contacted Renton ATCT, and found that the winds were approximately 30 knots directly across the runway. They then made a low approach at Boeing Field, where they also found the winds excessive, and then returned to Auburn, where the landing was successful. After landing in strong crosswinds, the CFI receiving a flight review turned off the active runway to taxi to the ramp. When turning off the runway to the east, away from the prevailing winds, the two CFI's found the winds too excessive to taxi, and decided to turn into the wind again. Before completing the turn, the winds picked up the tail. The airplane nosed over, sustaining damage to the right wing, vertical fin and rudder, and the tailcone.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5115K
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17273975
- Airframe hours
- 8,989
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Auburn Flight Service, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 21, 1997 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- S50
- Airport
- S50 · Auburn Municipal, runway 16, 3,400 × 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
- 23
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,320 total · 160 in this make and model · 1,272 as pilot in command · 208 in the last 90 days · 58 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 30 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.