Cessna 172M
Pine Bluffs, WY — January 12, 2008
Event Information
| Date | January 12, 2008 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | DEN08LA049 |
| Event ID | 20080115X00052 |
| Location | Pine Bluffs, WY |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 41.15333, -104.13028 |
| Airport | Pine Bluffs |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
Aircraft
| Make | Cessna |
| Model | 172M |
| Category | AIR |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 2 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane. Contributing factors in this accident were the unfavorable wind and the snow bank.
Full Narrative
On January 12, 2008, approximately 1500 mountain standard time, a Cessna 172M, N12606, piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain during landing at Pine Bluffs Airport (82v), Pine Bluffs, Wyoming. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot, the sole occupant on board, was not injured. The local flight originated at 82V approximately 1445.
According to the pilot's accident report, he had been practicing touch-and-go landings when "I experienced something that I had never experienced [in] my 50 years of flying...a very large gust of wind blew me completely out of control to the point of approaching airborne and I had to fight to keep the wings level, the plane straight and parallel with the runway with much difficulty in addition with left aileron down and left brake. And it still would not correct the plane's position." The airplane went off the side of the runway and struck a snow bank. Damage consisted of a collapsed nose gear, buckled firewall, bent propeller, crushed engine cowling, and scraped wing tip. The airplane's owner witnessed the accident and corroborated the pilot's report.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.