Incident Overview
On January 12, 2008, at approximately 1500 mountain standard time, a Cessna 172M (registration N12606) sustained substantial damage when it collided with terrain during landing at Pine Bluffs Airport (82V) in Pine Bluffs, Wyoming. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight without a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The local flight originated from 82V at about 1445.
Pilot Account
According to the pilot's accident report, he had been practicing touch-and-go landings. He stated, "I experienced something that I had never experienced [in] my 50 years of flying...a very large gust of wind blew me completely out of control to the point of approaching airborne and I had to fight to keep the wings level, the plane straight and parallel with the runway with much difficulty in addition with left aileron down and left brake. And it still would not correct the plane's position." The airplane subsequently departed the side of the runway and struck a snow bank.
Damage Description
The collision resulted in a collapsed nose gear, buckled firewall, bent propeller, crushed engine cowling, and scraped wing tip. The airplane's owner witnessed the accident and corroborated the pilot's report.
Probable Cause
The investigation did not provide a probable cause for the accident.