Cessna 172 N497SJ

Summary

On 1 October 2016 at about 22:08 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N497SJ, operated by FXE Flight Center Corp, was involved in an accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 October 2016 at 22:08

Classification

Accident

Location

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Fort Lauderdale Executive (FXE)

Coordinates

26.1972, -80.1708

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N497SJ

Category

Airplane

Year built

2000

Engines

1

Operator

FXE Flight Center Corp

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fort Lauderdale → Punta Gorda

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA17LA026

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s improper landing flare in gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in a nose landing gear collapse.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Shortly after departing on the local flight, the pilot noticed that the engine oil temperature indicated 245°, or redline, and the engine began to run roughly. The pilot contacted air traffic control and requested to return to the airport. The controller cleared the pilot to land and advised of the wind conditions. Upon touchdown, the airplane bounced and came to rest on the runway, resulting in substantial damage. On-scene examination revealed damage consistent with the airplane impacting the runway on the nose landing gear. Examination of the engine revealed that the vernatherm had failed, which would have resulted in elevated engine oil temperature; however, there were no other engine anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The conditions at the time of the accident included a 50° crosswind between 7 and 14 knots. The airplane's published maximum crosswind component was 15 knots. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the pilot's improper landing flare while landing in gusting, crosswind conditions, which resulted in the nose landing gear contacting the runway and its subsequent collapse.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.