# NTSB investigations: Cessna 172K: Loss of control in flight

NTSB aviation accident and incident investigations since 1962: the probable cause, findings, aircraft, crew, weather and docket of each, linked to the FAA registry and the FAA’s own reports.

## Latest cases

- [NTSB ERA25LA087](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA087.md): Cessna 172K · Southport, NC · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Dec 19, 2024 · N7085G · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s loss of aircraft control due to spatial disorientation, and the flight instructor’s inadequate supervision, which resulted in the subsequent overstress of the airplane during recovery.
- [NTSB GAA19CA193](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA19CA193.md): Cessna 172 · Pella, IA · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Mar 26, 2019 · N7127G · Substantial damage
  > The student pilot's failure to maintain the runway heading and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action during landing, which resulted in the instructor landing the airplane in grass left of the runway and a subsequent nose-over.
- [NTSB WPR14FA302](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR14FA302.md): Cessna 172K · Littlefield, AZ · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jul 21, 2014 · N84754 · Destroyed
  > The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control when the airplane encountered high gusting wind while conducting low altitude flight in a narrow canyon, which resulted in an inflight collision with terrain.
- [NTSB WPR14FA078](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR14FA078.md): Cessna 172K · Fresno, CA · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Dec 27, 2013 · N251JM · Destroyed
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from trees while on approach, which subsequently led to a loss of airplane control. Also causal was the pilot’s continued operation of the airplane at night with a diagnosed medical condition that degraded…
- [NTSB ERA13FA062](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA13FA062.md): Cessna 172K · Savannah, GA · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Nov 18, 2012 · N78304 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control while operating in night, instrument meteorological conditions, due to spatial disorientation.
- [NTSB CEN12CA422](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN12CA422.md): Cessna 172K · Greers Ferry, AR · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jul 4, 2012 · N84279 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain a positive rate of climb while taking off with a high density altitude.
- [NTSB CEN11CA257](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11CA257.md): Cessna 172K · San Antonio, TX · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Apr 1, 2011 · N79286 · Substantial damage
  > The student pilot's inadequate compensation for wind while landing in gusty wind conditions.
- [NTSB ERA11CA181](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA11CA181.md): Cessna 172K · Ocracoke, NC · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · Mar 5, 2011 · N84867 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s inadequate flare and failure to regain control of the airplane while attempting to recover from bounced landing.
- [NTSB CEN11LA073](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11LA073.md): Cessna 172K · San Antonio, TX · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Nov 15, 2010 · N7183G · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to land with a tailwind.
- [NTSB LAX08FA256](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX08FA256.md): Cessna 172K · Gearhart, OR · Accident · 5 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Aug 4, 2008 · N828CC · Destroyed
  > The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the initial climb after takeoff due to spatial disorientation.

## The whole list in SQL

Runs in DuckDB 1.2 or later on the release's Parquet files over HTTPS:

```sql
SELECT c."ntsbNumber", c."eventDate", c."eventType", c."eventCity", c."eventStateOrRegion", a.n_number, a."aircraftMake", a."aircraftModel", c."highestInjuryLevel", c."totalFatal", c."completionStatus", c.report_url
FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = c."mKey" AND a.position = 1
WHERE c."mKey" IN (SELECT x.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' x WHERE x.aircraft_model_code IN ('2072430')
    AND EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' s WHERE s.case_mkey = x.case_mkey AND s.aircrafts_position = x.position AND s."tier2Number" = '240' AND s.case_mkey IN (SELECT case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' WHERE "isDefiningEvent")))
ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC
```

This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence?model=2072430

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OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.
