- Date
- May 2, 2021, 16:38 local (20:38 UTC)
- Place
- Martinsville, VA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N1089DCessna 172S
- Defining event
- Approach-IFR missed approach: Tailstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- 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
- 20210502005289A
- Case key
- 103014
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 pitch control during a go-around in gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in a tail strike and a runway excursion.
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 reported that during a visual approach to land in gusting crosswind conditions, while on “short final”, the airplane was high and full flaps were added. The airplane continued to be “high and slow on the round out” so he initiated a go-around maneuver. During the go-around, the pilot applied full power, however the airplane continued to sink and slow which resulted in a tail strike and runway excursion to the left off the runway into the grass. The fuselage and engine mount sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1089D
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S10269
- Built
- 2006
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Heavy Metal Air LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Departed
- AKH · Gastonia, NC
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- MTV · Blue Ridge, runway 13/31, 5,002 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display
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
- 22
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 23, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 185 total · 25 in this make and model · 99 as pilot in command · 33 in the last 90 days · 21 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 11 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- MTV
- METAR
- KMTV 022055Z AUTO 20011G19KT 180V240 10SM CLR 26/10 A2992 RMK AO2 T02630104
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 24, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.4 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.