N733XD

Substantial
None

CESSNA 172NS/N: 17268623

Accident Details

Date
Sunday, May 16, 2010
NTSB Number
ERA10CA268
Location
Blue Hill, ME
Event ID
20100518X91103
Coordinates
44.441944, -68.568336
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
Highest Injury
None
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
0
Minor Injuries
0
Uninjured
2
Total Aboard
2

Probable Cause and Findings

The flight instructor’s inability to maintain directional control while landing with gusting winds.

Aircraft Information

Registration
Make
CESSNA
Serial Number
17268623
Engine Type
Reciprocating
Model / ICAO
172NC172
Aircraft Type
Fixed Wing Single Engine
No. of Engines
1
Seats
4
FAA Model
172N

Registered Owner (Current)

Name
ROADRUNNER BUS LLC
Address
1274 SOUTH T-CORNER ROAD
City
WESTON
State / Zip Code
NE 68070
Country
United States

Analysis

According to the flight instructor, he was demonstrating a soft field landing to a grass runway in a tricycle-gear airplane. During the landing roll on runway 34, a “strong wind gust from the right” lifted the airplane’s right wing, and the airplane “slid sideways to the left.” The student pilot noted that the airplane had landed “midline,” and after the gust of wind struck, the nose of the airplane headed left even though the instructor had applied full right rudder and aileron. The airplane’s left wing subsequently grazed small tree branches, then impacted a bigger branch that rotated the airplane counter-clockwise. The airplane came to rest perpendicular to the grass runway, with the airplane’s nose facing into the trees. The airplane’s left wing tip and right wing leading edge were substantially damaged. The flight instructor and the student pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane. Weather, reported about 9 miles east of the accident site, included winds from 320 degrees at 12 knots, gusting 17 knots.

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA10CA268