- Date
- January 14, 2024, 12:38 local (17:38 UTC)
- Place
- Mooresville, NC
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N512SPCessna 172
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Loss of control in flight
- 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
- 20240114002919A
- Case key
- 193666
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 control of the airplane during a go-around in gusting crosswind conditions.
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 attempting to land the airplane on a 3,170-ft-long by 40-ft-wide runway and reported that while on final approach he encountered a “heavy gusty crosswind.” The pilot described that after passing a tree line and realizing that he would not be able to land, he attempted a go-around. The last thing the pilot remembered was the airplane impacting trees. The airplane received substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, and its empennage structure. Two witnesses to the accident stated that shortly after initiating the go-around, the airplane turned to the left, missing the trees lining the runway, but then impacted trees approximately 500-ft left of the runway centerline within the residential area of the air park community. The witnesses also described that the airplane started the go-around attempt near the midpoint of the runway. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N512SP
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S8371
- Built
- 2000
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 1, 2023
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 14A · Lake Norman Airpark, runway 14, 3,147 × 40 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- 62
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 7, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 153 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Turbulence
- Severe
- Observed at
- SVH, 9 nm away
- METAR
- KSVH 141725Z AUTO 22010G15KT 10SM CLR 11/M05 A3002 RMK AO2 T01091054
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 12, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 107 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.