# NTSB investigations: Cessna 172N: Aerodynamic stall/spin

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 WPR26FA330](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR26FA330.md): Cessna 172N · San Diego, CA · Accident · 2 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Preliminary report · Sep 8, 2026 · N734ZK · Destroyed
  > On September 7, 2026, about 1720 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N734ZK, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near San Diego, California. The flight instructor and student pilot were fatally injured. The airplane was being operated as a…
- [NTSB ERA25LA164](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA164.md): Cessna 172N · Hickory, NC · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Apr 1, 2025 · N79514 · Substantial damage
  > The student pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during an attempted go-around, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin and collision with terrain.
- [NTSB ERA24LA059](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA24LA059.md): Cessna 172 · Zephyrhills, FL · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Dec 7, 2023 · N906KS · Substantial damage
  > An aerodynamic stall from which the pilots did not recover while maneuvering in the airport traffic pattern.
- [NTSB WPR23FA247](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR23FA247.md): Cessna 172N · Murrieta, CA · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Jul 4, 2023 · N5243E · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control. Contributing to the loss of control was the pilot’s sudden retraction of the flaps.
- [NTSB ERA23FA200](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23FA200.md): Cessna 172 · London, OH · Accident · 2 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Apr 18, 2023 · N734GB · Substantial damage
  > The flight instructor’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at an altitude too low for recovery.
- [NTSB CEN22LA291](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22LA291.md): Cessna 172N · Minot, ND · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jun 12, 2022 · N737BW · Substantial damage
  > The student pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed and yaw control of the airplane during an aborted takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with the ground.
- [NTSB ERA22LA070](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22LA070.md): Cessna 172N · Old Bridge, NJ · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Nov 21, 2021 · N8074E · Destroyed
  > The student pilot’s loss of control during a go-around, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
- [NTSB WPR21LA080](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR21LA080.md): Cessna 172 · Palm Springs, CA · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Dec 4, 2020 · N737NB · Substantial damage
  > The student pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control during an attempted go-around, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, aerodynamic stall, and subsequent impact with terrain.
- [NTSB GAA19CA529](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA19CA529.md): Cessna 172 · Mekoryuk, AK · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Sep 8, 2019 · N737NJ · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during takeoff in gusting wind conditions.
- [NTSB GAA19CA407](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA19CA407.md): Cessna 172 · Montville, ME · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jul 3, 2019 · N1516E · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain the proper airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during a low-altitude climbing turn, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
- [NTSB GAA19CA247](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA19CA247.md): Cessna 172 · Auburn, CA · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · May 6, 2019 · N734DX · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's improper retraction of the flaps during a go-around and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
- [NTSB CEN18LA171](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN18LA171.md): Cessna 172N · Orrville, OH · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · May 11, 2018 · N738XT · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to attain adequate airspeed during the soft field takeoff, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall.
- [NTSB GAA18CA248](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA18CA248.md): Cessna 172 · Port Angeles, WA · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · May 2, 2018 · N734QQ · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during a turn away from terrain, which resulted in an accelerated stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to delay the turn to avoid terrain.
- [NTSB CEN18FA024](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN18FA024.md): Cessna 172N · Hatch, NM · Accident · 4 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Nov 4, 2017 · N251CH · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during the initial climb after takeoff, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and a subsequent aerodynamic stall/spin.
- [NTSB GAA17CA540](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA17CA540.md): Cessna 172 · Lynchburg, VA · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Sep 16, 2017 · N5396D · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's unstabilized approach, which resulted in an aborted go-around, an aerodynamic stall, and a hard landing.
- [NTSB WPR17FA171](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR17FA171.md): Cessna 172N · Big Bear, CA · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jul 29, 2017 · N5381J · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during takeoff in high density altitude conditions, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall, loss of control, and subsequent impact with terrain.
- [NTSB GAA17CA219](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA17CA219.md): Cessna 172 · Millbrook, NY · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · Apr 2, 2017 · N734SN · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during landing with a crosswind, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and an off-runway landing.
- [NTSB ERA16FA141](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16FA141.md): Cessna 172N · Charleston, WV · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Mar 26, 2016 · N6238D · Substantial damage
  > The flight instructor's failure to ensure that her seat was properly secured before initiating the takeoff, which resulted in a subsequent loss of control. Contributing was the lack of an installed secondary seat stop.
- [NTSB CEN12CA030](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN12CA030.md): Cessna 172N · Covington, LA · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Oct 17, 2011 · N2401E · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during a banner drop, resulting in an aerodynamic stall.
- [NTSB ANC10CA060](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC10CA060.md): Cessna 172N · Palmer, AK · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jul 12, 2010 · N6594D · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's decision to fly towards rising terrain that exceeded the climb capability of the airplane.
- [NTSB ANC09LA018](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC09LA018.md): Cessna 172N · Atmautluak, AK · Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Feb 7, 2009 · N5246D · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while landing in gusty winds, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall; his improper aircraft weight calculations; and his operation of the airplane over the allowable gross weight limit.

## 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 ('2072434')
    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" = '241' 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/241/sequence?model=2072434

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