Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Fort Worth Meacham Intl Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Fort Worth, Texas 76106
Sunday, December 28, 1997 14:00 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
As the tailwheel-equipped airplane was being taxied toward the centerline of runway 34R, it turned to the left, nosed down, and came to rest balanced on the left main landing gear, the left wing tip, and the propeller spinner. According to the pilot, the left turn was due to a wind gust that 'hit the airplane and spun it counterclockwise.' Following the nose down, the pilot got out of the airplane and attempted to hold the airplane; however, the wind blew the airplane over onto its back. The pilot indicated that the winds at the time of the accident were from 280 to 310 degrees at approximately 20 to 25 knots with gusts to 30 knots. At 1353, seven minutes prior to the accident, the recorded winds at the airport were from a true heading of 300 degrees at 24 knots with gusts to 31 knots. The crosswind component for a takeoff on runway 34R (true heading 352 degrees) with a wind from 300 degrees at 30 knots was calculated to be 23 knots. According to the Pilot's Operating Handbook, the maximum demonstrated crosswind velocity for the airplane was 12 knots. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented by 'selection of runway that more aligns with current winds.'
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's improper planning/decision, by allowing the airplane to get in a situation, where he could not compensate for wind conditions. A related factor was the gusty crosswind.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/28/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1400 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | FORT WORTH |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 76106 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | FORT WORTH MEACHAM INTL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | FTW |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 710 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1353 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FTW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 710 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 4300 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 8 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 0 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 24 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 31 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1369 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 28 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1430 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:43PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N121KS |
| NTSB Number | FTW98LA077 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 180J |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 180J |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 18052683 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2700 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 12 1997 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 10 |
| Airframe Hours | 2200 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | DON H. MONTGOMERY |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 6400 TEXOMA PARKWAY |
| Aircraft Owner City | SHERMAN |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 75090 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | FTW |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1400 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 48TX |
| Destination City | WHITEWRIGHT |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Taxi |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 34R |
| Runway Length | 7501 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |