- Date
- September 23, 2020, 19:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- La Grange, NC
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5439ECessna 172
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20200923016639A
- Case key
- 102044
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 directional control during final approach, which resulted in a collision with trees.
Findings · 2
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 stated that during short final approach to his private airstrip, a gust of wind blew his airplane left into trees, where it came to rest. The pilot added that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the wreckage revealed substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The wind was recorded as calm at an airport approximately 8 miles from the accident site, about 24 minutes after the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5439E
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (N)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1721867
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 1,974
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 11, 2019 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- GWW · Goldsboro, NC
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- PVT · Private, runway 23, 1,800 × 60 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- 75
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 4, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 600 total · 400 in this make and model · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- ISO, 8 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 15, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.0 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.