- Date
- April 16, 2011, 18:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Greenville, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N6933ACessna 172
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 30, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20110416005639A
- Case key
- 78898
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 delayed action in performing a go-around maneuver, which resulted in an impact with trees.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was landing at a grass airstrip. He realized that he would not be able to stop the airplane before the end of the runway so he performed a go-around. Unable to clear static power lines that were near the departure end of the runway, the pilot elected to go under the lines and subsequently impacted trees. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
Following a cross-country flight, the pilot attempted to land at a grass airstrip. Realizing that he would not be able to stop the airplane before the end of the runway, the pilot attempted a go-around maneuver. Unable to clear static power lines that were near the departure end of the runway, the pilot elected to go under the lines and subsequently impacted trees. The airplane came to rest in the trees, inverted, and in a nose down position. The airplane's wings and fuselage sustained substantial damage during the accident. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6933A
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 29033
- Airframe hours
- 4,591
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-300 SER, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 2011
- Departed
- GPM · Grand Prarie, TX
- Destination
- Greenville, TX
- Airport
- Private Airstrip, runway 36, 2,000 × 50 ft, grass/turf
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
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 15, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 413 total · 106 in this make and model · 358 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 29, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 348 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.