Cessna 172P N98598

Summary

On 18 February 2013 at about 19:30 local time, a Cessna 172P registered N98598, operated by Eglin AFB Aero Club, was involved in an accident near Valparaiso, Florida, United States. 4 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

18 February 2013 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Valparaiso, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Eglin Air Force Base (VPS)

Coordinates

30.4831, -86.5261

Aircraft

Cessna 172P

Registration

N98598

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Eglin AFB Aero Club

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Valparaiso → Valparaiso

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA13CA146

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane while landing in gusting wind conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Following a brief local flight, the pilot entered the traffic pattern at his home airport. While on final approach to the runway, the pilot noted a gusting crosswind and elected to approach the runway at an airspeed of 70 knots, instead of the typical 60 knots. The airplane touched down on the runway, ballooned to a height of about 10 feet, then bounced twice more before it settled onto the runway. The pilot taxied off the runway and shut down the engine. During the accident sequence, the airplane’s firewall was substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The reported wind at the airport about the time of the accident was a left quartering headwind at 15 knots, with gusts to 20 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.