Casualties unknown

1997-10-25: Cessna 177 (N2971X) — Herbert B. Young — Boerne, TX

Boerne, TX, US

On October 25, 1997, a Cessna 177 (registration N2971X) operated by Herbert B. Young was involved in an aviation accident near Boerne, TX. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the aborted landing. Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a porpoise; his lack of total experience in the… This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 1781061362Data APIEditorial standards

A Cessna 177 landing on runway 17 bounced and porpoised; the pilot aborted, but the airplane veered left, crossed a taxiway, became airborne, and struck a parked front end loader, resulting in a postcrash fire. The pilot had minimal experience in type.

Accident Sequence

During a landing on runway 17, a Cessna 177 airplane touched down, bounced, and began to porpoise. The private pilot aborted the landing by adding power and raising the flaps from 40 to 10 degrees. The airplane subsequently departed the left side of the runway, crossed a grassy area and the parallel taxiway, became airborne, and collided with a parked front end loader. The airplane then impacted the ground and was destroyed by a postcrash fire.

Pilot Experience

The pilot had less than 1 hour of flight time in the Cessna 177.

Weather Conditions

Review of weather data indicated that during the time period of the accident flight, winds in the area were gradually changing from a southwesterly to a northwesterly direction, resulting in an increasing right crosswind component for landing on runway 17. At the time of the accident, winds were likely from the west at 10 to 15 knots.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001208X09023. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.