Cessna 172N N4881G

Summary

On 23 May 1993 at about 18:30 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N4881G, operated by Canon Air Service, was involved in an accident near Buena Vista, Colorado, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 May 1993 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Buena Vista, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Buena Vista (7V1)

Coordinates

38.8309, -106.1410

Aircraft

Cessna 172N

Registration

N4881G

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Canon Air Service

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Canon City → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN93LA061

Nobody was injured.

A DOWNDRAFT AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. FACTORS WERE: A CROSSWIND AND THE INADVERTENT SELECTION OF ADDITIONAL FLAPS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT SAID THAT FROM THE AIR, THE WIND APPEARED TO BE DIRECTLY ACROSS RUNWAY 15 'WITH POSSIBLY A LEFT QUARTERING TAILWIND.' AFTER SELECTING 20 DEGREES OF FLAPS, HE NOTICED HIS AIRSPEED HAD INCREASED FROM 80 KNOTS TO 115 KNOTS. HE CLOSED THE THROTTLE, SLOWED BACK TO 80 KNOTS, AND SELECTED WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS 30 DEGREES OF FLAPS. AS HE FLARED THE AIRPLANE BETWEEN 70 AND 75 KIAS, THE PILOT SENSED HE WAS GOING TOO FAST. THE AIRPLANE WAS THEN 'SHARPLY BLOWN DOWN ONTO THE RUNWAY,' LEFT OF CENTERLINE, AND BOUNCED. HE APPLIED FULL THROTTLE IN AN ATTEMPT TO GO AROUND, AND NOTICED THE FLAP HANDLE WAS IN THE 40 DEGREE DETENT. HE RETRACTED THE FLAPS, BUT THE AIRPLANE DRIFTED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. HE SAID THE AIRPLANE LIFTED OFF BUT NEVER GOT OUT OF GROUND EFFECT. IT WENT DOWN AN EMBANKMENT, STRUCK A DITCH, AND NOSED OVER.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.