- Date
- August 4, 1990, 12:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Greensboro, AL
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4386QCessna 172L
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900804030189A
- Case key
- 8261
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 failure to maintain proper airspeed and attain the proper touchdown point during the emergency landing.
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 in cruise flight when his engine began running roughly and vibrating. He elected to make an emergency landing at a nearby airport when he could not correct the problem. He made two visual approaches to the landing runway, but was unable to land the airplane. He stated that he was 'too high and too fast' on both approach attempts. On the third attempt, he landed 300 meters past the departure end of the landing runway, which is 3,500 feet long. The airplane collided with a fence and flipped over. He stated that he was 'shanken up' by the problem he was having with his engine. Inspection of the engine after the accident revealed a failed number three cylinder exhaust valve.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4386Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 172L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17260286
- Airframe hours
- 1,611
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Southernaire Carrier, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Southernaire Carrier, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 29, 1990 · 8 hours before
- Departed
- TUP · Tupelo, MS
- Destination
- 0J4 · Florala, AL
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 7A0 · Greensboro Municipal, runway 18, 3,500 × 80 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
- 33
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 67 total · 4 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 72 °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.