- Date
- March 1, 2026, 17:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Carthage, NC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N972WWCessna 172
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 9, 2026
- 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
- 20260301002039A
- Case key
- 202621
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 clearance from trees while on final approach for landing. Contributing to the accident were the flight instructor’s inadequate remedial actions.
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 purpose of the flight was for the pilot to gain experience with soft and short field landings with a flight instructor. The pilot stated that after departing, they proceeded to a nearby airport, whose runway was about 2,500 ft-long by 36 ft-wide. After completing a successful landing, they remained in the pattern for another short field landing. While on final approach, the airplane was too far to the right of the runway centerline. At an altitude of about 50 to 60 ft above ground level, the airplane’s right wing struck the tops of trees that were close the runway edge and were difficult to see due to the position of the sun. After impacting the trees, the pilot performed a go-around. The airplane operated normally and the pilot and the instructor decided to return to an airport with longer runway. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right wing had sustained substantial damage. Both the pilot and the instructor reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N972WW
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S9072
- Built
- 2002
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Chapel Hill Flying Club Inc DBA
- Registered owner
- Chapel Hill Flying Club Inc DBA
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- TTA · Sanford, NC
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- BQ1 · Gilliam - Mc Connell Airfield, runway 31, 2,538 × 36 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 26, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 166 total · 20 in this make and model · 64 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 87
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- BasicMed, Unknown
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 17,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- SOP, 7 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KSOP 012256Z AUTO 19003KT 10SM CLR 19/09 A3014 RMK AO2 SLP212 T01940094 PNO $=
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 9, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.9 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.