N79210

On April 22, 2001, about 0830 Eastern Daylight Time, a Cessna 172K, N79210, was substantially damaged during a landing at Cherry Ridge Airport (N30), Honesdale, Pennsylvania. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed for the local personal flight, which was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

According to the pilot, he entered the landing pattern for multiple landings on Runway 35. During the second landing, he encountered what he believed to be "variable cross/tail wind gusts" during landing rollout. The airplane veered off the right side of the runway, and onto an adjacent soft turf runway. "Unable to keep the nosewheel off the turf because of the wind gusts, the wheels furrowed into the water-saturated turf, and the tail lifted. Prop and right wing struck the turf...."

There were no weather reporting facilities at Cherry Ridge Airport, and the nearest airport that had reporting facilities was approximately 25 nautical miles to the southwest, and separated from Cherry Ridge by mountainous terrain. Weather, recorded at that airport about 25 minutes after the accident, included clear skies and winds from 230 degrees at 6 knots.