Cessna 172N N3443E

Summary

On 15 April 1993 at about 21:52 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N3443E, operated by Konski Air, was involved in an accident near Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 April 1993 at 21:52

Classification

Accident

Location

Flagstaff, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Flagstaff Pulliam (FLG)

Coordinates

35.2898, -111.3194

Aircraft

Cessna 172N

Registration

N3443E

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Konski Air

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Page → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX93LA176

Nobody was injured.

THE PILOT'S POOR AIRCRAFT HANDLING TECHNIQUES, HIS FAILURE TO CORRECTLY CONFIGURE THE CARBURETOR HEAT CONTROL DURING THE GO AROUND, AND, HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL MUSH CONDITION. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT'S LOW TOTAL EXPERIENCE AND THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE CONDITION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

ACCORDING TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ON DUTY IN THE TOWER CAB, THE AIRCRAFT MADE TWO ATTEMPTS TO LAND ON RUNWAY 21, EACH TIME FLARING ABOUT 10 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT INITIATED A GO AROUND FOLLOWING EACH ABORTED LANDING ATTEMPT. ON THE SECOND GO AROUND, THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE LOW AND SLOW, AND, DURING A LEFT TURN, DESCENDED AND COLLIDED WITH TREES ON THE AIRPORT PROPERTY. THE OFFICIAL AIRPORT WEATHER OBSERVATION WAS REPORTING WINDS FROM 290 DEGREES AT SIX KNOTS DURING THE ACCIDENT TIME FRAME, WITH NO UNUSUAL METEOROLOGICAL PHENOMENA NOTED EITHER BEFORE OR AFTER THE ACCIDENT. IN HIS STATEMENT, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT GUSTING CROSS WINDS BLEW HIM AWAY FROM THE RUNWAY DURING EACH LANDING ATTEMPT. ON THE SECOND GO AROUND, THE PILOT SAID THAT A DOWNDRAFT PUSHED HIM INTO THE TREES AFTER HE HAD DRIFTED LEFT OVER THE WOODS. THE PILOT FURTHER STATED THAT HE LEFT THE CARBURETOR HEAT IN THE ON POSITION DURING THE SECOND GO AROUND. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS CALCULATED TO BE ABOUT 8,700 FEET.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.