# NTSB MIA99LA259: Cessna 172N, N734TC, Moontown, AL, September 19, 1999

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: September 19, 1999, 15:23 local (20:23 UTC)
- Place: Moontown, AL
- Coordinates: 34.720012, -86.480148 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.7200&lon=-86.4801&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 4 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report December 4, 2000
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 47446
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA99LA259
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/47446/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99LA259

## Probable cause

The pilot's decision to land on a runway with a quartering tailwind, his failure to obtain the proper touchdown point on the runway, and his delay in aborting the takeoff phase of a touch and go landing, resulting in the aircraft overrunning the runway, colliding with a ditch, and nosing over.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Overrun, takeoff - aborted
  - weather condition - tailwind
  - wrong runway - selected, pilot in command (cause)
  - touch-and-go - attempted, pilot in command
  - proper touchdown point - not attained, pilot in command (cause)
  - aborted takeoff - delayed, pilot in command (cause)
- On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, takeoff - aborted
  - terrain condition - ditch
- Nose over, takeoff - aborted

## Analysis

After landing on runway 27, during a touch and go landing, the pilot stated there was not enough runway remaining to takeoff again. He aborted the takeoff, overran the runway, collided with a ditch, and nosed over. The wind at the Huntsville Airport, located about 16 miles southwest of the accident site, 27 minutes before the accident, were from 150 degrees at 9 knots.

## Factual narrative

On September 19, 1999, about 1523 central daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N734TC, registered to an individual, and operated by Rocket Aviation, nosed over after over running the runway during landing at Moontown Airport, Moontown, Alabama, while on a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft received substantial damage and the private-rated pilot and three passengers were not injured. The flight originated from Meridianville, Alabama, the same day, about 1500.

The pilot stated that when he did not receive a response on the unicom frequency at Moontown Airport as to what the active runway was, he flew over the airport and determined that he would land on runway 27. He touched down on runway 27 at normal landing speed and realized he did not have enough runway to take off again. He tried to stop, but the aircraft overran the runway, collided with a ditch, and nosed over.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N734TC](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N734TC-2004-09-15), registration cancelled 2004-09-15, S/N 17269092 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Cessna 172N
- Registry model: [Cessna 172N](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172n) (registry code 2072434) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 17269092
- Airframe hours: 5111
- Engines: Lycoming O-320-H2AD 160 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Operator: Rocket Aviation
- Registered owner: Michael J. Murphy
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection: 100 hour, August 26, 1999, 100 hours before
- Departed: M82, MERIDIANVILLE, AL
- Destination: 3M5
- Airport: 3M5, Moontown, runway 27, 2,180 × 160 ft, grass/turf

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 67; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 207 total, 60 in this make and model, 17 in the last 90 days, 1 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 150° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 84 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observed at: HSV, 16 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 (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 19990919036699A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990919036699A), Sep 19, 1999: Cessna 172N, Huntsville, AL, Substantial damage. (-23) Departed madison county executive (M82) for local sight seeing flight with three passengers onboard. During attempt to land at Moontown Airport (3M5)…

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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