No fatalities

14 Jun 2011: CESSNA 172S — Fly Corona — Cortez, CO

Cortez, CO, United States

On 14 Jun 2011, a CESSNA 172S operated by Fly Corona was involved in an aviation accident near Cortez, CO. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while landing in gusty crosswind conditions. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 14 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot aborted three landings due to gusty crosswinds before a fourth attempt resulted in a hard nosewheel landing, damaging the firewall.

Background

The pilot reported approaching the runway in gusty crosswind conditions.

Previous Attempts

Three landing attempts were made prior to the accident. The pilot aborted each of these approaches due to the gusty crosswinds.

Final Approach and Landing

On the fourth attempt, while flaring for landing, the airplane ballooned. Shortly after, a strong wind gust affected the aircraft. The pilot was unable to maintain directional or pitch control. The airplane subsequently made contact with the runway on the nose wheel with excessive force.

Post-Accident Findings

Examination of photographs taken soon after the event revealed that the nose landing gear had been displaced upward into the forward fuselage. The firewall sustained substantial damage as a result.

Contributing factors

Causes

PilotPitch control — Not attained/maintained

Other contributing factors

Response/compensation