At 12:00 PDT, the pilot of a Cessna 172N lost control after encountering wind shear while landing at the Nut Tree Airport. No one was injured. The pilot took off from Palo Alto at about 11:15 and was enroute to Vacaville. The pilot said he encountered continuous light to moderate turbulence along his route of flight and that the final approach was very bumpy. As he initiated the landing flare, he noted the windsock reflected that the wind had changed direction and was now about 90 degrees to his left. The pilot reported that he applied full power to initiate a go-around but the airplane hit the ground and bounced. He held the nose of the airplane down and remained in ground effect until he was able to climb out. The pilot stated that he decided to return to Palo Alto instead of attempting another landing. After landing back at Palo Alto, mechanics determined that the left wingtip, aileron, and secondary spar sustained damage.
Sept. 26, Vacaville, Calif. / Cessna 172
At 12:00 PDT, the pilot of a Cessna 172N lost control after encountering wind shear while landing at the Nut Tree Airport. No one was injured. The pilot took off from Palo Alto at about 11:15 and was enroute to Vacaville. The pilot said he encountered continuous light to moderate turbulence along his route of flight and that the final approach was very bumpy. As he initiated the landing flare, he noted the windsock reflected that the wind had changed direction and was now about 90 degrees to his left. The pilot reported that he applied full power to initiate a go-around but the airplane hit the ground and bounced. He held the nose of the airplane down and remained in ground effect until he w...
Key Takeaways:
- A Cessna 172N pilot lost control during a landing attempt at Nut Tree Airport due to sudden wind shear, causing the aircraft to hit the ground and bounce.
- The pilot successfully initiated a go-around and returned to Palo Alto after the incident, with no injuries reported.
- Mechanics later found damage to the left wingtip, aileron, and secondary spar of the aircraft.
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