- Date
- June 3, 2023, 10:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Prescott, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N249KCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20230603007729A
- Case key
- 192304
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 improper landing flare, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was his delayed decision to initiate a go-around.
Findings · 4
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 a discovery flight, he allowed the passenger to assume control of the airplane and guided her through various maneuvers. The passenger remained in control until reaching short final of the landing. The pilot noticed that the approach was slow and steep, prompting him to take control. He executed an early round-out maneuver and flare, but realized the airplane was too high and was responding poorly, leading him to initiate a go-around procedure. Right before he could increase the power, the left wing experienced an aerodynamic stall and dropped, resulting in contact with the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N249K
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S12830
- Built
- 2022
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Leighnor Aircraft LLC
- Registered owner
- Ff22 LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- PRC · Prescott Rgnl - Ernest A Love Fld, runway 21L, 7,619 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, ADS-B, Angle of attack indicator, Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 13, 2021
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 762 total · 450 in this make and model · 652 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- KPRC, 1 nm away
- METAR
- KPRC 031753Z 36004KT 10SM CLR 26/03 A3007 RMK AO2 SLP107 T02560033 10256 20106 58002
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 20, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.0 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.