- Date
- August 15, 1994, 19:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Fisherville, KY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N6429BCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 25, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940815021509A
- Case key
- 8958
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 airspeed, which resulted in a stall and inflight loss of control.
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
During final approach to the west, just prior to touchdown, the pilot elected to do a go-around due to the presence of a tailwind. The pilot initiated a go-around and the airplane cleared 50 to 60 foot trees at the end of the private airstrip. Just after clearing trees, the airplane stalled and collided with smaller trees. The airstrip was 1200-feet-long and oriented east and west. The pilot reported the accident could have been prevented with increased airspeed.
Factual narrative
On August 15, 1994, at 1915 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172, N6429B, collided with trees during a go-around over a private airstrip located in Fisherville, Kentucky. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The local personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to a Federal Aviation Safety Inspector, the pilot stated he initiated a go-around due to the presence of a "tailwind." The pilot stated that during the transition to a climbing flight path the airplane's "...left wing stalled and the airplane went into trees."
The pilot reported on his Pilot Aircraft Accident Report, "Just before touch down [I] decided to go-around. Gave full power dumped 1 notch flaps. Climbing out about 65 mph over 50-60 foot trees made it over trees, all of a sudden plane stalled and nose dived into smaller trees. Landed in trees about 400 ft. west of my field."
The pilot also stated that the private airstrip was oriented in a east-west direction and was 1,200-feet-long. He stated that the winds were coming from a heading of 050 degrees at a velocity of 5 knots.
The pilot also reported on his Pilot Aircraft Accident Report under the Recommendations section, How Could This Accident Have Been Prevented, "This could have been prevented with more airspeed."
Post-accident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6429B
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 29629
- Airframe hours
- 3,356
- Engine
- Continental O-300-A, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Darnell, Harold
- Registered owner
- Darnell, Harold
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 20, 1994 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- LOU · Bowman Field, KY
- Airport
- Private Strip
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
- 66
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 833 total · 471 in this make and model · 813 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LOU
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.