N121CW

On September 18, 2005, at 1000 mountain standard time, a Cessna 172S, N121CW, sustained a tail strike at the Show Low Regional Airport, Show Low, Arizona. Westwind Aviation was operating the airplane that was registered to a private company under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot and two passengers were not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan was filed. The pilot departed from Deer Valley Airport, Phoenix, Arizona, at 0900.

The pilot reported that the en route portion of the flight to Show Low was uneventful. He obtained the weather information for Taylor Airport, Taylor, Arizona, located about 12 nautical miles southeast of the accident airport. The winds were reported from 130 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 18 knots. After an attempted landing for runway 03, the pilot performed a go-around and entered the landing pattern for runway 06. The windsock indicated favorable winds for landing runway 06. The approach to land was normal and the pilot flared the airplane, touching down on the right main gear first, and then the airplane bounced. The airplane, "was suddenly pushed aside, to the north end of the runway" and the tail section impacted the ground. The airplane settled to the ground momentarily before the pilot was able to perform the go-around and land uneventfully on runway 24. Post accident examination revealed that the right elevator was jammed and the skin at the base of the rudder was punctured. No mechanical malfunctions were noted with the airplane prior to the accident.

An automated weather observation system (AWOS) for Show Low reported the following weather information 10 minutes following the accident: wind from 230 degrees at 20 knots, gusting to 26 knots. Ten minutes prior to the accident, the winds were reported from 200 degrees at 18 knots, gusting to 22 knots.

It was noted during the course of the investigation that the current sectional aeronautical chart for Phoenix did not show an AWOS frequency for Show Low. The Airport Facility Directory (AFD), Southwest, currently shows an AWOS frequency of 118.075. The sectional charts are reissued every 6 months; the AFDs are updated every 56 days.