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Atlas / NTSB / ERA12CA211

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event ERA12CA211

2012-02-19 Mayaquez, Puerto Rico, United States Airport · TJMZ None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N5286H

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

CESSNA 172M

Year of manufacture

1975 · 37 years old at event

Engine

LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)

Seats / Engines

4 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

19750529

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A6A9D8

Registrant of record

NIEVES IRVYN T

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot did not maintain control of the airplane while landing in crosswind conditions.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that the winds were calm during his approach to runway 9; however, just prior to landing, the airplane experienced a strong crosswind. He subsequently applied full engine power, and attempted to abort the landing; however, the airplane touched down, veered off the runway, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and the airframe around windshield. The pilot reported that he did not experience any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures. Winds reported at the airport, about 30 minutes prior to the accident, were from 320 degrees at 13 knots. The pilot reported that the wind was calm during his approach to runway 9; however, just before landing, the airplane experienced a strong crosswind. The pilot subsequently applied full engine power and attempted to abort the landing, but the airplane touched down, veered off the runway, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and the airframe near the windshield. The pilot reported that the airplane did not experience any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures. The reported wind at the airport, about 30 minutes prior to the accident was from 320 degrees at 13 knots. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

  • Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Not specified
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2012_ERA12CA211.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.