- Date
- December 24, 2006, 11:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Cottonwood Fall, KS
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4811GCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 26, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20061224027809A
- Case key
- 65116
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 the fence. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inability to properly identify the runway environment, and the improper in-flight decision to initiate a go-around.
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 unable to differentiate between the dirt runway and an adjacent road. Upon touchdown, the pilot decided the road was not the runway and initiated a go-around. The pilot reported that she hit and "broke through" a barbed wire fence adjacent to the road, resulting in substantial damage. The pilot continued with the go-around and landed on the runway without further incident. An examination of the airplane's system revealed no anomalies.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, the trip was uneventful. Upon arrival at her destination, the pilot was unable to differentiate between the dirt runway and an adjacent road. The pilot misidentified the road as the runway due to the location of the wind sock, and attempted a landing. Upon touchdown, the pilot decided the road was not the runway and initiated a go-around. The pilot reported that she hit and "broke through" a barbed wire fence adjacent to the road. The pilot continued with the go-around and landed on the runway without further incident. An examination of the airplane revealed the horizontal stabilizer was crushed aft, and the spar was bent. An examination of the remaining airplane system, conducted by the FAA, revealed no anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4811G
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17273359
- Airframe hours
- 4,530.4
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 1, 2006
- Departed
- MKC · Kansas City, MO
- Destination
- 9K0 · Cottonwood Fall, KS
- Airport
- 9K0 · Chase County Airport, runway 17, 2,300 × 155 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
- 18
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 109 total · 98 in this make and model · 26 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KEMP, 17 nm away
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 N4811G · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.