- Date
- June 29, 2023, 22:09 local (Jun 30, 2023, 03:09 UTC)
- Place
- Siloam Springs, AR
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N739GUCessna 172N
- Defining event
- Approach: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20230629008329A
- Case key
- 192500
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 clearance from power lines while on final approach to land.
Findings · 3
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 reported that while on final approach at night, he impacted power lines he did not see about 1.5 miles from the approach end of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder, left wing, and left flap. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N739GU
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17270639
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 6,500
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2022
- Departed
- FYV · Fayetteville, AR
- Destination
- SLG · Siloam Springs, AR
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- SLG · Smith Field, runway 18, 4,997 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Satellite tracking device, Onboard weather, Heads up display
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
- 74
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- BasicMed, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 6, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 966 total · 962 in this make and model · 814 as pilot in command · 65 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KFYV, 8 nm away
- METAR
- KFYV 300253Z AUTO 00000KT 9SM CLR 27/23 A2995
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 17, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.9 MB 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.