DEER, AR, USA
N7421M
CESSNA 175
AFTER LOCATING THE 2,000-FOOT GRASS AIRSTRIP, THE PILOT CIRCLED AT 1,000 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND ENTERED A LEFT HAND PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 27. THE PILOT ESTIMATED THAT THE SURFACE WINDS WERE FROM 200 TO 220 DEGREES AT APPROXIMATELY 20 KNOTS. THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURBULENCE WHILE IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AND REPORTED ENCOUNTERING SEVERE TURBULENCE AND A DOWNDRAFT PRIOR TO TOUCHING DOWN. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE MANAGED TO CONTROL THE AIRPLANE AND TOUCHED DOWN AT ABOUT THE MIDPOINT OF THE STRIP. AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE AIRPLANE; HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE OVERRAN THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND IMPACTED BRUSH. THE PILOT STATED THAT 'THE WIND MUST HAVE CHANGED TO A TAILWIND,' AND 'JUST FELT LIKE A DOWNWIND LANDING BUT IT STILL LOOKED LIKE I HAD ROOM TO GET IT STOPPED.' THE WINDS AT HARRISON, ARKANSAS, 29 MILES NORTH, WERE REPORTED FROM 170 DEGREES AT 18 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 26 KNOTS.
On October 22, 1995, at 1430 central daylight time, a Cessna 175, N7421M, was substantially damaged while landing near Deer, Arkansas. The commercial pilot and his 3 passengers escaped uninjured. The airplane was being operated as a personal flight under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated in Dover, Arkansas, at 1400. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross country flight for which a flight plan was not filed. According to the pilot, after locating his destination airport he circled the airport at 1,000 feet above the ground and entered a left hand pattern for runway 27. He configured the airplane for a powered approach with 10 degrees of flaps, while maintaining 65 miles per hour. The pilot further stated that he estimated that the winds were from 200 to 220 degrees at approximately 20 knots. The pilot stated that he encountered moderate turbulence while in the pattern, and "while over the first 1/4 of the runway he encountered severe turbulence and a downdraft"; however, he managed to control the airplane and "touch down about the midfield point." The pilot stated that "the wind must have changed to a tailwind," and "just felt like a downwind landing but it still looked like I had room to get it stopped." The pilot stated that the "tailwind extended my roll out and I went beyond the mowed runway into the rough area." The airplane overran the end of the 2,000 foot mowed grass runway, impacting brush. The nose landing gear collapsed and the engine firewall and the fuselage were damaged. The winds at Harrison, Arkansas, located 29 nautical miles north of the accident site, were reported from 170 degrees at 18 knots, gusting to 26 knots. The density altitude was estimated at 3,500 feet.
THE PILOT'S SELECTION OF A DOWNWIND RUNWAY FOR LANDING. FACTORS WERE THE TAILWIND AND THE PILOT'S MISINTERPRETATION OF THE WIND CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
Aviation Accidents App
In-Depth Access to Aviation Accident Reports
