- Date
- June 17, 2026, 10:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Death Valley, CA
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N96FACessna 172S
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 17, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 203196
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 failure to maintain airspeed and encounter with a tailwind while landing on a rough runway, which resulted in a runway overrun and subsequent nose over.
Findings · 6
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 flew over his destination airport, which featured a 3,065 ft long asphalt runway, noted to be in poor condition, to observe the windsock. The pilot determined that the windsock indicated calm wind and maneuvered the airplane for landing on runway 33. He extended the flaps to the full down position while on final approach. The pilot stated that the airplane touched down about 1,300 ft beyond the runway threshold, and that he applied maximum braking. During the landing roll, he realized that the airplane was not slowing down as he expected. The airplane subsequently overran the runway and nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to both wing lift struts and the fuselage. The pilot added that a stronger-than-anticipated tailwind and the rough, uneven runway surface may have reduced braking effectiveness. Flight data recovered from the airplane’s avionics revealed that the airplane landed on runway 33 with wind from about 174° at 17 knots. Additionally, the data revealed that as the airplane crossed over the threshold of the runway, the airplane’s indicated airspeed was about 74 knots and groundspeed about 93 knots. The Pilot’s Operating Handbook specifies that, during a short-field landing, the airplane should be flown at 61 knots indicated airspeed when 50 ft above ground level. It further stated that, “for operation with tailwinds up to 10 knots, increase [landing] distances by 10% for each 2 knots.” Post accident examination of the airplane revealed that there were now mechanical malfunctions or failures with the wing flaps that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N96FA
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S10002
- Built
- 2005
- Airframe hours
- 8,057.3
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 28, 2026 · 37.7 hours before
- Departed
- VNY · Van Nuys, CA
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- L06 · Furnace Creek Airport, runway 33, 3,065 × 70 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic multifunction display
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
- 33
- Injuries
- Unknown
- Certificates
- Private, Foreign
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 16, 2026
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 200 total · 75 in this make and model · 200 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- KDRA, 42 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KDRA 171653Z AUTO 20013KT 10SM CLR 34/03 A2989 RMK AO2 SLP062 T03390028
Docket · 8
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 17, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 10.6 MB in all.