Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Las Vegas Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Las Vegas, New Mexico 87701
Wednesday, April 14, 2004 17:25 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During the take off roll from runway 14, a gust of wind weathervaned the tail of the airplane into the wind. Subsequently, the airplane nosed over substantially damaging the airplane. The Aviation Routine Weather Report reported winds from 260 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 25 knots. At 1609, a peak wind from 270 degrees at 30 knots was recorded. According to the Cessna Pilot Operating Handbook, the maximum demonstrated crosswind component is 12 knots. The crosswind component was calculated to be a 12 to 31 knot tailwind.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's decision to takeoff in wind conditions that consisted of a quarterly tailwind and a crosswind in excess of the maximum demonstrated crosswind component, and his failure to maintain directional control.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/14/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1725 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Las Vegas |
| Event State | NEW MEXICO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 87701 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 353918N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1050830W |
| Event Location Airport | Las Vegas Municipal Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | LVS |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.5 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 140 |
| Airport Elevation | 6877 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1653 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 140 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LVS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 6877 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 260 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 15 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 25 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.04 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 8673 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 15659 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Comm Ctr |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 14 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1800 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 30 2004 12:15PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Albuquerque FAA FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8956Q |
| NTSB Number | DEN04CA062 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 180A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32776 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2600 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 1 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 23 |
| Airframe Hours | 5139 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | John Fegaras |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | On File |
| Aircraft Owner City | Michigan City |
| Aircraft Owner State | IN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 46360 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| 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? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | LVS |
| Departure City | Las Vegas |
| Departure State | NM |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1725 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | COS |
| Destination City | Colorado Sprgs |
| Destination State | CO |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff - roll/run |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 4 2004 12:31PM |
| User who most recently changed record | MCBM |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 14 |
| Runway Length | 8198 |
| Runway Width | 60 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |