- Date
- March 16, 2025, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Rusk, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N52243Cessna 172S
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20250316013049A
- Case key
- 199867
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 airplane control and adequate airspeed during the go-around, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain.
Findings · 4
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 the landing approach was stable, but during landing flare, he lost control of the airplane. The airplane pulled to the right and then to the left. The pilot attempted to regain airplane control but felt it was unsafe to continue with the landing, so he attempted a go-around at which time the airplane was near the left side of the runway. The pilot continued the go-around because the airplane was headed toward a tree line with too much power and momentum to attempt a landing. As the airplane approached the tree line, the pilot increased the airplane’s pitch attitude to climb above the trees, but the airplane entered an aerodynamic stall. The airplane stalled and impacted terrain, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The owner reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N52243
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S9145
- Built
- 2002
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Skymates Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 3, 2025
- Departed
- GPM · Grand Prairie, TX
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- JSO · Cherokee County, runway 32, 5,000 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- 21
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 24, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 186 total · 186 in this make and model · 91 as pilot in command · 41 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- KJSO
- METAR
- METAR KJSO 161655Z AUTO 31008KT 8SM CLR 16/M06 A3009 RMK AO2 T01631057=
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 17, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.9 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.
Other investigations on N52243 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.