- Date
- July 26, 1989, 21:30 local (Jul 27, 1989, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Wilmington, NC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7444GCessna 172K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report August 2, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890726025399A
- Case key
- 8050
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 inadequate preflight preparation/planning by the pilot regarding the unique light features on runway 18 (lights mounted along the east side only). In addition the pilot failed to align the airplane with the runway and struck a vehicle that was parked between the lights.
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 pilot was conducting night landings at a private airstrip. The runway only has one set of edge lights, located on the east side. The pilot turned base to final and lined up on center with the lights. The pilot realized the misalignment after corssing the runway threshold and attempted to correct by banking. The airplane struck a vehicle parked between the runway edge lights.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7444G
- Reported as
- Cessna 172K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17259144
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Brunswick Flight Service
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 55W · Wilmington, NC
- Airport
- 55W · Winnabow M.C., runway 15, 3,500 × 18 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 47
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 174 total · 107 in this make and model · 136 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Variable at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point -0 °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.