Cessna 140A N9403A

Summary

On 1 October 1998 at about 19:30 local time, a Cessna 140A registered N9403A was involved in an accident near Belen, New Mexico, 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

1 October 1998 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Belen, New Mexico, United States

Nearest airport

Belen Municipal (E80)

Coordinates

35.3795, -106.4703

Aircraft

Cessna 140A

Registration

N9403A

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Deming → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN99LA001

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control. Factors were his inadequate compensation for the gusty crosswind conditions, and the airplane manufacturer's failure to provide adequate performance data.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

When the pilot turned onto final approach to runway 21, he had to lower the left wing and apply right rudder to maintain runway alignment. He said the wind had generally been from the south between 15 and 18 knots. As the airplane touched down, a wind gust 'in excess of 20 knots cocked the airplane to the left,' causing the right main landing gear to buckle and separate. According to a Cessna Airplane Company spokesperson, the airplane owner's manual contains no maximum crosswind component data.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.