What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot was practicing touch and go landings when it overshot the rwy, went into a creek, and caught on fire, other circumstances are unknown. (-23) on Monday, July 12, 1999, at approx. 1240 EDT, during practice of take-offs and landings, a C172M, N42246, operated by privacy data omitted was observed to attempt to land with a higher than normal approach speed and without flaps being extended. The a/c reportedly "wheelbarrowed" down the runway after touching down approx. half way down the runway. The grass area, off the departure end of the runway exhibited skid marks and a steel guardrail adjacent to a road, running perpendicular to the runway exhibited tire (rubber) marks in line with the skidmarks in the grass. The a/c traveled across an 80 foot deep gorge and struck trees. The wings separated and the fuselage cabin area was consumed by fire. The pilot exited the a/c without assistance. After medical evaluation, the pilot was air-evacuated to a local medical facility with serious injuries.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT WAS PRACTICING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS WHEN IT OVERSHOT THE RWY, WENT INTO A CREEK, AND CAUGHT ON FIRE, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (-23) ON MONDAY, JULY 12, 1999, AT APPROX. 1240 EDT, DURING PRACTICE OF TAKE-OFFS AND LANDINGS, A C172M, N42246, OPERATED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMIT^ WAS OBSERVED TO ATTEMPT TO LAND WITH A HIGHER THAN NORMAL APPROACH SPEED AND WITHOUT FLAPS BEING EXTENDED. THE A/C REPORTEDLY "WHEELBARROWED" DOWN THE RUNWAY AFTER TOUCHING DOWN APPROX. HALF WAY DOWN THE RUNWAY. THE GRASS AREA, OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY EXHIBITED SKID MARKS AND A STEEL GUARDRAIL ADJACENT TO A ROAD, RUNNING PERPENDICULAR TO THE RUNWAY EXHIBITED TIRE (RUBBER) MARKS IN LINE WITH THE SKIDMARKS IN THE GRASS. THE A/C TRAVELED ACROSS AN 80 FOOT DEEP GORGE AND STRUCK TREES. THE WINGS SEPARATED AND THE FUSELAGE CABIN AREA WAS CONSUMED BY FIRE. THE PILOT EXITED THE A/C WITHOUT ASSISTANCE. AFTER MEDICAL EVALUATION, THE PILOT WAS AIR-EVACUATED TO A LOCAL MEDICAL FACILITY WITH SERIOUS INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.