- Date
- November 26, 1998, 16:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Tallahassee, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1377YCessna 172C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 16, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19981126032479A
- Case key
- 45380
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
an on ground collision with a horse.
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
The pilot was landing at a private airstrip when a herd of horses crossed the runway. The pilot attempted to takeoff again, but struck and killed one of the horses, causing the airplane to nose over. He said when he was on the ground, after landing and still rolling , he saw the movement of the horses off to his right, about 100 feet away from the airplane, on the landing field side of the fence and moving along the fence line in a slow gallop. He elected to go around and get out of the field. As he applied full power the horses tracked across the field in the path of the airplane. Three to four horses ran across the field and the last horse to cross the path of the airplane closed with the aircraft and did not run away, but in a straight line which put it directly in front of the aircraft. At or near ground effect speed the airplane struck the horse in a broadside impact, with a nose up attitude resulting in the instantaneous death of the horse, the loss of power, propeller, and nose gear. The airplane dragged the horse for several yards, and then nosed forward and flipped over.
Factual narrative
On November 26, 1998, about 1630 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172C, N1377Y, registered to a private individual, collided with a horse during an attempted go-around after landing at a private airport, near Tallahassee, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged. The private-rated pilot and one passenger reported no injuries, the horse was killed. The flight originated at 1610, from Tallahassee Commercial Airport, Florida.
The pilot was landing at a private airstrip when a herd of horses crossed the runway. The pilot attempted to takeoff again, but struck and killed one of the horses, causing the airplane to nose over.
According to the pilot's statement, he was on the ground after landing and still rolling. He said, "...I saw the movement of the horses off my right...about 100 feet away from the aircraft. The animals were seen on the landing field side of the fence and moving along the fence line in a slow gallop...I elected to go around and get out of the field. I applied full power and was near flying speed when the horses then tracked across the field in the path of the plane...3 to 4 horses were then running across the field and the last animal to cross the path of the plane then closed with the aircraft and was not running away, but in a straight line which put it directly in front of the aircraft. At or near ground effect speed I struck the horse in a broadside impact, with nose up attitude resulting in the instantaneous death of the horse, the loss of power, propeller, and nose gear...dragged the horse...for several yards and then the aircraft nosed forward and flipped over."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1377Y
- Reported as
- Cessna 172C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17249077
- Airframe hours
- 2,985
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Roy L. Talley
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 9, 1998 · 29 hours before
- Departed
- 68J · Tallahassee, FL
- Airport
- NONE · Private Strip, runway 5, 2,000 × 200 ft, grass/turf
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 744 total · 734 in this make and model · 653 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,700 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TLH, 10 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.