Cessna 172 N79551

Summary

On 26 November 1990 at about 20:20 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N79551, operated by Double Eagle Aviation Inc., was involved in an accident near Tonopah, Nevada, United States. One person was 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

26 November 1990 at 20:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Tonopah, Nevada, United States

Nearest airport

Tonopah (TPH)

Coordinates

38.3593, -116.2592

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N79551

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Double Eagle Aviation Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Winnemucca → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX91LA043

Nobody was injured.

THE AIRPLANE'S ENCOUNTER WITH A WIND GUST WHILE TAXIING FROM LANDING. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS RELATED TO THE PILOT'S IMPROPER WEATHER EVALUATION AND HIS LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN MAKING WEATHER EVALUATIONS.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

ACCORDING TO THE 74-HOUR PRIVATE PILOT, DURING HIS X-C FLIGHT HE HAD RECEIVED WEATHER BRIEFINGS AND HAD BEEN INFORMED THAT THE SURFACE WIND AT HIS DESTINATION AIRPORT WAS 25 KNOTS. DURING THE LANDING APPROACH THE UNICOM OPERATOR REPORTED THAT THE WIND WAS 15 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 25 KNOTS. THE PILOT LANDED, EXITED THE RUNWAY, ENCOUNTERED A WIND GUST, LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE, AND NOSED OVER. THE PILOT FURTHER REPORTED THAT SEVERAL MINUTES PRIOR TO THE NOSE OVER EVENT THE UNICOM OPERATOR REPORTED THAT THE SURFACE WIND WAS 40 KNOTS WITH GUST TO 60 KNOTS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.