Cessna 182 N2892Y accident near Alpine, Texas

Probable cause

The pilot’s inadequate compensation for gusting crosswind conditions at night and his delayed go-around, which resulted in the airplane bouncing and impacting a fence.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that, during final approach in gusting wind conditions at night, he reduced power and initiated a flare when he then heard the stall warning horn. He added that a "gust of wind caught [the] left wing," which he attempted to recover with left aileron inputs. The nose landing gear bounced during touchdown, and he applied full power to go around when a gust of wind "pushed [him] right into desert." The airplane bounced, impacted a fence, and came to rest inverted on the right side of the runway.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, fuselage, and empennage.

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located on the airport revealed that, about 5 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 130° at 9 knots and that, about 15 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 140° at 10 knots, gusting to 17 knots. The airplane landed on runway 19.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for GAA17CA172 for the full record.