Glens Falls, NY, USA
N9673B
Cessna 172RG
While on approach to the airport, the pilot encountered a thunderstorm cell, and elected to utilize runway 30, a 4,000-foot-long, 100-foot-wide, asphalt runway. The pilot said he approached at a faster airspeed in expectation of crosswinds or wind shear. Upon touchdown, the aircraft was picked up from the front left quarter by a wind gust and landed hard. The airplane sustained damage to the propeller, firewall, nose gear and lower portions of the fuselage. The pilot did not experience any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. A weather observation taken at the airport, about the time of the accident, included winds from 270 at 6 knots, visibility 3 miles with light rain and mist. The remarks section of the observation included lightning in the distance east, southwest, and west of the airport.
On August 16, 2003, about 1430 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172RG, N9673B, was substantially damaged while landing at the Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport, Glens Falls, New York. The certificated private pilot and two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the local flight. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. In a written statement, the pilot said he was on approach to runway 19, when he encountered a thunderstorm cell and was advised by another pilot to utilized runway 30, a 4,000-foot-long, 100-foot-wide, asphalt runway. The pilot further stated: "I made the approach to [runway] 30 faster (75-80 knots) in expectation of crosswinds or wind shear. Upon touchdown the aircraft was picked up from the front left quarter by a wind gust. While maintaining control of the aircraft, I could not avoid the resulting hard landing...." The airplane sustained damage to the propeller, firewall, nose gear and lower portions of the fuselage. The pilot stated that he did not experience any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. A weather observation taken at the airport, about the time of the accident, included winds from 270 at 6 knots, visibility 3 miles with light rain and mist. The remarks section of the observation included lightning in the distance east, southwest, and west of the airport.
The pilot's failure to maintain control during the flare/touchdown, which resulted in a hard landing. Factors in this accident were wind gusts and the pilot's improper decision to land during thunderstorm activity.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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