N8210U

On October 30, 1994, at 1645 hours Pacific standard time, a Cessna 172F, N8210U, lost control, exited the taxiway, and nosed over while taxiing for takeoff on runway 33 at Tonopah Airport, Tonopah, Nevada. The pilot was beginning the second leg of a visual flight rules personal flight. The airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. Neither the certificated private pilot nor his passenger was injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators conducted a telephone interview with the pilot on October 30, 1994. The pilot said that as the airplane approached the runway threshold a gust of wind "blew it off the taxiway." When the nose gear entered the soft terrain, it dug into the ground and the airplane nosed over.

The pilot said in the aircraft accident report, NTSB Form 6120.1/2, that he was taxiing in a southeasterly direction with a left quartering tailwind. He said he tried to keep the airplane's taxi slow and was applying minimum power with the control yoke forward (elevator down). While taxiing, the airplane's nose landing gear began to shimmy. The pilot pulled the control yoke back and applied braking to correct the nose shimmy. He said that the wind raised the tail and the airplane began to "wheelbarrow" on the nosegear and turned to the left.

The airplane exited the taxiway and entered onto the soft dirt next to the taxiway. The airplane collided with a berm and nosed over.

The Tonopah Airport surface winds at 1650 hours were from 290 degrees at 10 knots.