Summary
On July 22, 2018, a Cessna 172 (N99243) was involved in an incident near Colorado Springs, CO. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing in gusting crosswind conditions.
The student pilot reported that, during a check ride, during a short field landing in gusting crosswind conditions, the touchdown was normal, but the airplane quickly veered to the right. He added that, he and the designated pilot examiner applied left rudder to no avail. The airplane exited the runway to the right, the right main landing gear struck a taxiway sign, and the airplane came to rest in the grass adjacent to the taxiway.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right horizontal stabilizer.
The Federal Aviation Administration inspector conducted a postaccident examination. He reported that the rudder system appeared normal and functioned properly.
This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA18CA433. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N99243.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing in gusting crosswind conditions.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The student pilot reported that, during a check ride, during a short field landing in gusting crosswind conditions, the touchdown was normal, but the airplane quickly veered to the right. He added that, he and the designated pilot examiner applied left rudder to no avail. The airplane exited the runway to the right, the right main landing gear struck a taxiway sign, and the airplane came to rest in the grass adjacent to the taxiway.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right horizontal stabilizer.
The Federal Aviation Administration inspector conducted a postaccident examination. He reported that the rudder system appeared normal and functioned properly. He added that there were no pre-existing mechanical conditions that could have caused the accident.
The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 50° at 11 knots, gusting to 21 knots. The airplane landed on runway 33.
The airplane information manual stated that the maximum demonstrated crosswind is 15 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# GAA18CA433