N7224T

On April 25, 2007, about 0915 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172A airplane, N7224T, sustained substantial damage during landing at the Hidden River Airpark, about 16 miles east of Sarasota, Florida. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal cross-country flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The solo private certificated pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed the Winter Haven Airport, Winter Haven, Florida, about 0745.

During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on April 26, the FAA inspector who responded to the accident said the pilot told him that upon arrival at the airpark, he encountered strong gusty crosswinds from the north, and that after two failed attempts to land on runway 27, he decided to try runway 9. The inspector said the pilot landed long and fast, and that after touchdown the airplane ran off the right side of the runway. He said the pilot steered the airplane back onto the runway, but near the end of the runway the airplane again ran off the right side. The inspector said the airplane encountered a culvert, damaging the landing gear and both wings.

In a written statement to the NTSB dated May 3, the pilot wrote that during landing a gust of wind picked up the left wing, and then the right landing gear lifted off the runway. He reported that he was able to get the airplane back on the runway, but the next gust blew the airplane off the runway. Further down the runway he wrote that the wing and wheel lifted again, and as the airplane entered the overrun area the right wheel scraped a concrete abutment, and he lost control. He said the right wing hit the ground, and then the left wing hit the ground, and the right wing hit a tree. No preaccident mechanical anomalies were reported. The airplane was not examined by the NTSB.