Downtown Fort Collins Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Fort Collins, Colorado 80538
Sunday, September 27, 1992 16:45 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE STUDENT PILOT FLARED THE AIRPLANE FOR LANDING WHEN A GUST OF WIND CAUSED THE AIRPLANE TO DEPART THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT CLOSED CARBURETOR HEAT, APPLIED FULL THROTTLE, AND BEGAN RETRACTING THE FLAPS IN AN ATTEMPT TO ABORT THE LANDING. THE PILOT SAW A DITCH AND ATTEMPTED TO AVOID IT, BUT THE LEFT WIND TIP STRUCK A TREE BRANCH AND THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR HIT THE DITCH, SPINNING THE AIRPLANE AROUND. WINDS WERE REPORTED GUSTING TO 25 KNOTS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. A FACTOR WAS: CROSSWIND.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/27/1992
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1645
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City FORT COLLINS
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 80538
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport DOWNTOWN FORT COLLINS
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 3V5
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 4935
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1635 Mountain Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 343
Weather Observation Facility ID FCL
Elevation of weather observation facility 5016
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 10
Time Zone of the weather observation MDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
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) 22
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -3
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 70
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 18
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 25
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 7150
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) 1941
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 27 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1730
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 46782
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 3:18PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N5222D
NTSB Number DEN92LA094
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 172N
Aircraft Series Identifier 172N
Aircraft Serial Number 17272456
Certified Max Gross Weight 2300
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 Sep 11 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 46
Airframe Hours 4310
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name ZELENAK, STEVE & AMY
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 261
Aircraft Owner City BELLVUE
Aircraft Owner State CO
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 80512
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name THE PILOT CENTER
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 200 RACQUET DRIVE
Operator City FORT COLLINS
Operator State CO
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 80526
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) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1640
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 11
Runway Length 4699
Runway Width 48
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --