Usaf Academy Airfield Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Usafa, Colorado 80840
Saturday, June 27, 2009 11:30 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The airplane was landing at the destination airport in gusty wind conditions. The commercial pilot reported that the wind was aligned predominately down the runway with gusts approximately 10 knots above the steady state winds. When in the flare to land, the airplane would not settle to the runway normally. The pilot held the landing attitude and waited for the airplane to touch down. When the airplane floated past the pilot's planned touchdown zone, the pilot initiated a go-around. When the pilot selected full throttle and set a pitch attitude for the climb out, the airplane's stall warning horn came on. The pilot lowered the pitch and retracted wing flaps from 40 degrees to approximately 20 degrees. The airplane stalled, and the left wing and propeller contacted the runway. The airplane departed the left side of the runway and came to rest in an upright position. An examination of the airplane following the accident revealed that the left wing near the wing tip was bent upward and the firewall was buckled.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's failure to maintain a safe flying airspeed resulting in an inadvertent stall during the go-around.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/27/2009
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1130
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City USAFA
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 80840
Event Date Year 2009
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 385811N
Event Location Longitude 1044846W
Event Location Airport USAF Academy Airfield
Event Location Nearest Airport ID KAFF
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 8572
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source Pilot
Time of the weather observation
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID --
Elevation of weather observation facility --
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) --
Time Zone of the weather observation --
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) 22
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 10
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 160
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 15
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 1
Injury Total None 3
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 25840
NTSB Notification Source USAF
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information --
Date of most recent change to record Sep 28 2009 1:47AM
User who most recently changed record lema
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N52298
NTSB Number CEN09CA459
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 172P
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 17274489
Certified Max Gross Weight --
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 --
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name NIELSEN MARTIN L
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1017 MATADOR DR SE
Aircraft Owner City ALBUQUERQUE
Aircraft Owner State NM
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 87123
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name USAFA Aero Club
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address --
Operator City USAFA
Operator State CO
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 80840
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 Yes
Departure Airport Code --
Departure City USAFA
Departure State CO
Departure Country USA
Departure Time --
Departure Time Zone --
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code --
Destination City USAFA
Destination State CO
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight --
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Aug 4 2009 2:50PM
User who most recently changed record aguj
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 16L
Runway Length 3500
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --