- Date
- March 16, 1989, 18:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Swainsboro, GA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N73944Cessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report July 11, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890316003969A
- Case key
- 8000
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's decision to land at an unlighted airstrip in low light conditions, and her subsequent, inadvertent selectionof unsuitable terrain bordering the runway.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The plt was attempting to land at the unlighted, turf airstrip in dusk light conditions. The airplane touched down in plowed dirt bordering the rwy and nosed over during rollout. The plt had no previous flt experience at the airstrip. Examination of aerial photographs of the airstrip revealed that the dirt area was approximately the same length & width as the rwy, and lighter in color than the rwy & surrounding terrain. The dirt area stood out in contrast compared to the rwy and other surrounding terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N73944
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17267760
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ostrom, Virginia E.
- Registered owner
- Ostrom, Virginia E
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Departed
- PDK · Chamblee, GA
- Airport
- NONE · Josh Lewis, runway 36, 4,000 × 100 ft, grass/turf
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 45
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 328 total · 198 in this make and model · 235 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 280° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.