On August 27, 1982, a Cessna 177 (registration N30445) operated by Darrel D. Daniels (co-owner) was involved in an aviation accident near Greensboro, NC. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a landing on Runway 27, the pilot encountered gusty crosswinds. The aircraft drifted right, landed hard, and the nosewheel failed, causing the plane to nose over.
Accident Details
The pilot recounted that the landing was being performed on Runway 27 when the aircraft encountered gusty crosswinds from 150 to 160 degrees. The wind caused the aircraft to drift approximately 30 feet to the right of the runway centerline. In an attempt to correct the drift, the pilot initiated a slip maneuver to align the aircraft with the runway. However, the aircraft touched down hard. The nosewheel made initial contact with the runway surface and subsequently failed, leading to the aircraft nosing over.
Runway Information
Runway 27 was 25 feet wide and sloped upward to the west with a gradient of 1.36%.
Weather Conditions
Approximately 15 minutes after the accident, the weather observation at the Greesboro-High Point Regional Airport indicated wind from 230 degrees at 10 knots.