- Date
- November 19, 2020, 18:44 local (23:44 UTC)
- Place
- Cynthiana, KY · Approach to runway 11
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N6203FCessna 172
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- 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
- 20201119014709A
- Case key
- 102325
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 proper glide path during a visual approach that was conducted at night, resulting in a collision with trees and terrain.
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 was approaching the destination airport for landing at night. On short final approach to the runway, he observed he was slightly low via the precision approach path indicator (PAPI) lights. Due to a 20-knot crosswind, the pilot was attempting to maintain runway centerline and entered an inadvertent slip, subsequently losing 20ft of altitude. As he looked up, he saw all red on the PAPI lights and reached to the throttle to reacquire the glideslope. He then observed the treetops in front of the propeller and the airplane contacted the trees. The airplane subsequently the ground and came to a stop. The airplane’s fuselage, both wings, and empennage were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6203F
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (N)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17273164
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 3,179
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Lexington Flying Club Inc
- Registered owner
- Lexington Flying Club Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 18, 2020 · 4 hours before
- Departed
- FFT · Frankfort, KY
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 0I8 · Cynthiana-Harrison County Airport, runway 11, 3,850 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B, Angle of attack indicator, Auto-pilot
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
- 64
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- BasicMed, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 11, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 428 total · 131 in this make and model · 428 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 200° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.35 inHg
- Observed at
- KIOB, 23 nm away
- METAR
- KIOB 192335Z AUTO 20010KT 10SM CLR 13/M01 A3035 RMK AO2
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 17, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.0 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.