Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Cotulla-La Salle County Airpor Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Cotulla, Texas 78014
Sunday, January 5, 2014 16:40 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During the landing flare to runway 31, the airplane was "pushed to the left" by a "sudden gust of wind". The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. Both wings, the vertical stabilizer, and the rudder were substantially damaged. The flight instructor stated that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The flight instructor and the student pilot both reported that the wind was 330 degrees at 14 knots, gusting to 21 knots. The official weather observation, recorded at 1553, reported the wind as 340 degrees at 14 knots. The observation, recorded at 1553, reported the wind as 010 degrees at 12 knots.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The student pilot did not maintain control of the airplane while landing. The flight instructor's failure to monitor the flight contributed to the accident.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/5/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1640 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Cotulla |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 78014 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 282724N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0991306W |
| Event Location Airport | Cotulla-La Salle County Airpor |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KCOT |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 474 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1653 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KCOT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 474 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| 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) | 13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 10 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.18 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 32322 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 22 2014 4:59PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kaij |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N55277 |
| NTSB Number | CEN14CA104 |
| 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 | P |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17275150 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2299 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 4 |
| 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 | Jun 12 2013 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 9180 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | LAGUNA VERDE LEASING INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2711 CENTERVILLE RD STE 400 |
| Aircraft Owner City | WILMINGTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | DE |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 198081645 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Alphatango Flying Services |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | San Antonio |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 78216 |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | KCVB |
| Departure City | Castroville |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1530 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | KCOT |
| Destination City | Cotulla |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 22 2014 4:59PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kaij |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 31 |
| Runway Length | 5005 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |