- Date
- January 29, 1989, 13:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- Ainsworth, NE
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4843GCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890129001539A
- Case key
- 34749
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 loss of power from undetermined reasons during an attempted go-around. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane and the crosswind conditions.
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 pvt plt said he was attempting to land on runway 30, with a 40 degree left crosswind of about 15 knots. Dissatisfied with his approach, he elected to go-around before touchdown. After establishing a positive rate of climb and attaining about 150 feet AGL, he said the engine failed. He went through normal emergency procedures in an effort to restart the engine without success. He attempted to land on a rough farm field, but said he felt he had let his airspeed deteriorate and the aircraft mush-stalled colliding with the terrain. Post accident investigation and engine run up failed to reveal the cause of engine failure. The carburetor and heat box were destroyed by the impact so a replacement carburetor had to be fitted for the runup. There was no evidence of fuel contamination or starvation/exhaustion. Meteorological conditions were not conducive for carburetor icing. The plt had been well trained in the usage of carburetor leaning techniques and carburetor heat control usage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4843G
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17273390
- Airframe hours
- 7,357
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Alliance Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 8, 1989 · 27 hours before
- Departed
- AIA · Alliance, NE
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- ANW · Ainsworth, runway 30, 5,500 × 75 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
- 36
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 79 total · 41 in this make and model · 51 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ANW, 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.