- Date
- April 15, 1993, 14:52 local (21:52 UTC)
- Place
- Flagstaff, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3443ECessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 19, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930415009389A
- Case key
- 27958
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 poor aircraft handling techniques, his failure to correctly configure the carburetor heat control during the go around, and, his failure to maintain an adequate airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall mush condition. Factors in the accident were the pilot's low total experience and the high density altitude condition.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
According to air traffic controllers on duty in the tower cab, the aircraft made two attempts to land on runway 21, each time flaring about 10 feet above the runway. The pilot initiated a go around following each aborted landing attempt. On the second go around, the aircraft appeared to be low and slow, and, during a left turn, descended and collided with trees on the airport property. The official airport weather observation was reporting winds from 290 degrees at six knots during the accident time frame, with no unusual meteorological phenomena noted either before or after the accident. In his statement, the pilot reported that gusting cross winds blew him away from the runway during each landing attempt. On the second go around, the pilot said that a downdraft pushed him into the trees after he had drifted left over the woods. The pilot further stated that he left the carburetor heat in the on position during the second go around. The density altitude was calculated to be about 8,700 feet.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3443E
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17271542
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Konski Air
- Registered owner
- Yehiam Konski
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 20, 1993
- Departed
- PGA · Page, AZ
- Airport
- FLG · Flagstaff Pulliam, runway 21, 6,999 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 150 total · 60 in this make and model · 60 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FLG, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.