WPR26LA222

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 172S · Death Valley, CA · June 17, 2026

Accident · Minor injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal report
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.

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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.

Performance/control parameters: surface speed/brakingAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedCessna 172S: 3 casesAll aircraft: 238 cases
Wind: tailwindEnvironmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Awareness of conditionCessna 172S: 9 casesAll aircraft: 594 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: airspeedAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedCessna 172S: 16 casesAll aircraft: 1,681 casesProbable cause
Terrain: rough terrainEnvironmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcomeCessna 172S: 4 casesAll aircraft: 442 casesProbable cause
Wind: tailwindEnvironmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on operationCessna 172S: 9 casesAll aircraft: 594 casesProbable cause

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.