- Date
- April 3, 2010, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Romney, WV
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N79234Cessna 172K
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 12, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- Case key
- 75663
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 improper decision to land with a 20-knot tailwind and his failure to initiate a go-around, which resulted in a runway overrun.
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
While landing on a 2,290-foot private turf runway, the airplane continued beyond the end of the runway, went through a barbed wire fence, and collided with a tree. The pilot stated that he landed with a 20-knot tailwind and was unable to stop before the end of the runway. The airplane’s right wing was substantially damaged. No mechanical malfunctions or failures were reported by the pilot.
Factual narrative
While landing on a 2,290-foot private turf runway, the airplane continued beyond the end of the runway, went through a barbed wire fence, and collided with a tree. The pilot stated he landed with a 20-knot tailwind and was unable to stop before the end of the runway. The airplane’s right wing was substantially damaged. No mechanical malfunctions or failures were reported by the pilot.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N79234
- Reported as
- Cessna 172K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17257986
- Airframe hours
- 1,986
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Thompson Loudoun L
- Registered owner
- Thompson Loudoun L
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 30, 2009
- Departed
- WV67 · Romney, WV
- Destination
- WV67 · Romney, WV
- Airport
- WV67 · Eastview Private Airport, runway 23, 2,290 × 20 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
- 69
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 26, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 958 total · 638 in this make and model · 845 as pilot in command · 0 in the last 90 days · 0 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- CBE, 14 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 10, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.6 MB in all.