Skyhaven Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania 18657
Thursday, May 21, 2009 14:15 UTC

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

According to the pilot, he checked the wind sock, then flew a "standard" traffic pattern at a final approach speed of 70 knots and 20-degrees flaps. He subsequently landed the airplane on runway 1, a 2,007-foot-long runway, “a few hundred feet past the threshold,” and it "seem[ed] as though [he] had a wind shift which became a tailwind." The pilot's subsequent application of brakes did not slow the airplane and during an attempt to turn off the runway, the airplane "would not steer." The airplane overran the end of the runway, went down a 10-foot embankment, nosed over, and sustained damage to the vertical stabilizer and left wing. Winds, recorded at an airport 15 miles to the southeast about the time of the accident, were from 230 degrees true at 9 knots. The pilot did not report any mechanical anomalies with the airplane.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's failure to attain the proper touchdown point while landing with a tailwind.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/21/2009
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1415
Event Time Zone Coordinated Universal Time? Same as GMT
Event City Tunkhannock
Event State PENNSYLVANIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 18657
Event Date Year 2009
Event Date Month 5
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 413145N
Event Location Longitude 0755649W
Event Location Airport Skyhaven Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 76N
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 639
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1054 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 135
Weather Observation Facility ID AVP
Elevation of weather observation facility 962
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 15
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
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) 23
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 4
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 230
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 9
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.3
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) 26932
NTSB Notification Source Local Authorities
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information --
Date of most recent change to record Jun 22 2010 11:52AM
User who most recently changed record johb
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N9492E
NTSB Number ERA09CA301
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 17272280
Certified Max Gross Weight 2307
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class --
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 Jul 2 2008 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 2284
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name PRO AIRLINE INC
Aircraft Owner Street Address 201 GORDON RD
Aircraft Owner City DALLAS
Aircraft Owner State PA
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 18612-2406
Operator is an individual? Yes
Operator Name Gerald Cooper
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address --
Operator City Hunlock Creek
Operator State PA
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 18621
Operator Code --
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
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 WBW
Departure City Wilkes-Barre
Departure State PA
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1000
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code 76N
Destination City Tunkhannock
Destination State PA
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight --
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jun 22 2010 11:56AM
User who most recently changed record johb
Since inspection or accident Time of Accident
Event Location Runway Number and Location 01
Runway Length 2007
Runway Width 50
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --