Summary
On June 14, 2011, a Cessna 172S (N6017J) was involved in an incident near Cortez, CO. 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 failure to maintain aircraft control while landing in gusty crosswind conditions.
The pilot said he made three prior attempts to land but aborted each landing due to the gusty crosswind conditions. On the fourth attempt, the airplane "ballooned" during the landing flare and encountered a strong wind gust. The pilot was unable to maintain control and the airplane landed hard on the nose wheel. A review of photographs taken of the airplane immediately after the accident revealed that the nose wheel was pushed up and into the cockpit, which substantially damaged the firewall.
This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN11CA392. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N6017J.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while landing in gusty crosswind conditions.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot said he made three prior attempts to land but aborted each landing due to the gusty crosswind conditions. On the fourth attempt, the airplane "ballooned" during the landing flare and encountered a strong wind gust. The pilot was unable to maintain control and the airplane landed hard on the nose wheel. A review of photographs taken of the airplane immediately after the accident revealed that the nose wheel was pushed up and into the cockpit, which substantially damaged the firewall.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN11CA392