Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot-in-command exceeded the airplane's maximum crosswind component capability. A factor related to the accident was the gusty crosswind.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot-in-command attempted to perform a full stop landing at the airport. Strong crosswinds with reported gusts of 45 miles per hour were blowing from the southwest. The airplane touched down on the southerly runway and then began to drift to the right. The pilot did not maintain directional control and the airplane drifted off the runway and into a mound of dirt.
Source record
Factual narrative
On September 9, 1994, about 1745 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172, N9918Q, operated by Hi Valley Aviation, Inc., Heber City, Utah, collided with terrain during landing rollout and was substantially damaged in Bullfrog, Utah. The private pilot and his three passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was filed. The personal flight departed from Provo, Utah, and was conducted under 14 CFR 91. According to a district ranger at the Glen Canyon National Recreational Area, the airplane landed on runway 19 at the Bullfrog Basin Airport during a "strong crosswind." The airplane "bounced a couple of times" and veered off the east side of the runway. The airplane then struck a mound of dirt along the eastern edge of the runway. The left wing was buckled and the left horizontal stabilizer was damaged. The ranger reported that the winds were from the west at 25 miles per hour (mph), gusting to 45 mph. According to the pilot, he "knew that [he] was going to be fighting a crosswind out of the south west and that it was a strong one." The pilot stated that after touching down on the runway, the airplane began to drift, despite the pilot's attempt to keep the airplane aligned with the runway centerline. The airplane then "skidded" off the east side of the runway and struck a mound of dirt. No mechanical malfunctions were reported. -