- Date
- February 16, 2017, 09:55 local (14:55 UTC)
- Place
- Burlington, NC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N381MGCessna 172
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 15, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA/ FSDO
- FAA report
- 20170216005439A
- Case key
- 94726
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 the runway heading during an attempted go-around in gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Findings · 5
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 landing in a gusting crosswind, following the main wheels touching down and as the nosewheel was about to touch down, the airplane "abruptly lifted into the air." He immediately added full power to go-around, but the airplane drifted to the left off the runway surface and impacted an embankment. The left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observing station at the accident airport, about the time of the accident, recorded wind from 270° at 16 knots, gusting to 31 knots. A peak wind of 260° at 31 knots was recorded about 5 minutes before the accident. The airplane landed on runway 24.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during landing in a gusting crosswind, following the main wheels touching down, and as the nose wheel was about to touch down, the airplane "abruptly lifted into the air." He immediately added full power to go-around, but the airplane drifted to the left off the runway surface and impacted an embankment. The left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observing station at the accident airport, about the time of the accident, recorded wind 270° at 16 knots, gusting to 31 knots. A peak wind of 260° at 31 knots was recorded about 5 minutes before the accident. The airplane landed on runway 24.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N381MG
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (M)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17265873
- Built
- 1975
- Airframe hours
- 3,955.4
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Missionary Air Group Inc.
- Registered owner
- Missionary Air Group Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 24, 2016
- Departed
- BUY · Burlington, NC
- Destination
- BUY · Burlington, NC
- Airport
- BUY · Burlington-Alamance Rgnl, runway 24, 6,405 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, 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
- 39
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 12, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 159.6 total · 68.3 in this make and model · 121.8 as pilot in command · 27.8 in the last 90 days · 23.6 in the last 30 days · 0.6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 16 knots, gusting 31
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- KBUY
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 20, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.6 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.