N270JA – Cessna 172S – 2007-02-16 NTSB Accident Report

On February 16, 2007, a Cessna 172S (N270JA) was involved in an incident near St. Louis, MO. All 3 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions and failure to maintain directional control. Factors were the gusting crosswind conditions and the snow covered ground.

The airplane departed the left edge of the runway and impacted snow covered terrain while landing on runway 8L (5,000 feet by 75 feet, asphalt). The pilot reported that upon touchdown "the airplane started skidding to the left" and that the "left wheel was shaking violently." The pilot stated he "applied right rudder and right brake aggressively" in an effort to keep the airplane on the runway. The pilot reported the airplane departed the runway onto snow covered ground. The pilot stated the airplane sunk through a hard layer of snow, causing the propeller to strike the ground and the left wing to "hit the snow." The wind conditions at the time of the accident were from 170 degrees magnetic at 13 knots, gusting to 18 knots.

This incident is documented in NTSB report CHI07CA074. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N270JA.