Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Grafton Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Grafton, North Dakota 58237
Thursday, February 10, 2005 15:00 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane nosed over after colliding with a snow bank while landing on runway 35. The pilot stated he listened to the closest automated terminal information service (ATIS), located 30 miles away. He reported the winds were from 260 degrees at 16 knots. The pilot reported he checked the windsock prior to landing at his destination airport. He reported the windsock was indicating winds from the west. The pilot stated he made two go-arounds because the airplane was not lined up with the runway centerline. He stated that that after turning onto final approach on the third landing attempt, the airplane was "just a little on the upwind side of the runway centerline." He stated that after touching down, "the wind blew me off the side of the runway" and the airplane contacted a snow bank. The pilot reported the nose gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions which resulted in a loss of directional control during the landing. Factors associated with the accident were the crosswind condition and the snow bank.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/10/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1500 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Grafton |
| Event State | NORTH DAKOTA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 58237 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 482417N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0972216W |
| Event Location Airport | Grafton Municipal |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | GAF |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 824 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1453 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 165 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GFK |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 845 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 33 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| 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) | 2 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 280 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 15 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.85 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| 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) | 19135 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Feb 10 2005 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1753 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 28 2006 12:35PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Fargo, ND FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2291E |
| NTSB Number | CHI05LA070 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 172N |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17271224 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2350 |
| 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 | Feb 7 2005 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 4 |
| Airframe Hours | 4852 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Park Rapids Aviation |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. Box 307 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Park Rapids |
| Aircraft Owner State | MN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 56470 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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 | CKN |
| Departure City | Crookston |
| Departure State | MN |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1430 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | GAF |
| Destination City | Grafton |
| Destination State | ND |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing - roll |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 21 2005 4:14PM |
| User who most recently changed record | SULP |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 35 |
| Runway Length | 3900 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |