WPR21LA182

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 175B · Royal City, WA · May 3, 2021

Accident · Minor injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal report
Date
May 3, 2021, 10:55 local (17:55 UTC)
Place
Royal City, WA
Injuries
1 minor
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N8209TCessna 175B
Defining event
Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed
Report
Approved by Office Director
Investigation class
Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
NTSB office
Western Pacific Region
Parties
FAA FSDO
FAA report
20210503008019A
Case key
103022

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 pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during a landing with a tailwind which resulted in excessive ground speed, runway over run and subsequent nose over.

Findings · 3

NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.

Wind: tailwindEnvironmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on equipmentCessna 175B: 1 caseAll aircraft: 594 cases
Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotCessna 175B: 1 caseAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: airspeedAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedCessna 175B: 1 caseAll aircraft: 1,681 casesProbable cause

Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.

Analysis

The pilot reported that, he departed from the west runway of his private dirt airstrip earlier on the morning of the accident with a calm wind. Upon his return he decided that a landing to the east was appropriate. The approach was normal however, during the landing flare he realized the ground speed was excessively fast and the wind had shifted to a tailwind. The airplane touched down 400 ft beyond the landing threshold of the 1,500 ft long runway and was still traveling fast. As the end of the runway approached, he attempted to steer the airplane to the left. The airplane rolled to the right, struck a concrete block, and nosed over substantially damaging the wings. The landing strip was furnished with two windsocks, and the pilot reported that due to power lines at the end of the runway, a go-around was not possible. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The closest official weather reporting station, about 32 miles northeast of the accident site, reported wind between 4 and 9 knots generally out of the southeast during the three-hour period leading up to the accident. However, about 40 minutes after the accident, an aviation special weather report (SPECI) was issued due to a significant change in weather, indicating that the wind had shifted and was now out of the southwest.

Aircraft

Registration
N8209T
Reported as
Cessna 175B
Category
Airplane
Serial number
17556909
Built
1960
Engine
Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · August 28, 2020 · 75 hours before
Departed
PVT · Royal City, WA
Destination
Same as departure
Airport
PVT · Private, runway 090, 1,500 × 200 ft, dirt
Equipment
None

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
83
Injuries
Minor
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
Last flight review
January 18, 2021
Seat
Left
Restraint
3-point
Flight hours
1,170 total · 700 in this make and model · 7 in the last 90 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
160° at 11 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Temperature
64 °F, dew point 34 °F
Altimeter
30.09 inHg
Observed at
KMWH, 28 nm away
METAR
KMWH 031752Z 16011KT 10SM SCT120 18/01 A3009 RMK AO2 SLP189 T01780006 10178 20050 58004

Docket · 4

The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 1, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.2 MB 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.