Cessna 172M N12839

Summary

On 30 April 2011 at about 20:00 local time, a Cessna 172M registered N12839, operated by Roy D. Harris, was involved in an accident near Suchez, Georgia, 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

30 April 2011 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Suchez, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

High Valley Airpark (GA87)

Coordinates

34.6981, -84.0128

Aircraft

Cessna 172M

Registration

N12839

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Roy D. Harris

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Blairesville → Suchez

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA11CA273

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the pilot to initiate a go-around and his excessive airspeed on the final landing approach.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that he overflew the airstrip to observe the windsock and noted that the wind favored runway 2, which was a 2,000 foot-long grass runway. He flew an approach to that runway, but executed a go-around because the airplane was too high. He remained in the traffic pattern and the airplane touched down at a point 800 to 1,000 feet from the approach end of the runway at 90 mph that was about 20 mph faster than normal. He later stated that at touchdown the wind shifted. After touchdown on the wet grass, he applied the brakes but the airplane would not stop. Because he was too far down the runway to perform a go-around, he continued on the ground with the brakes applied. The airplane traveled off the end of the runway where the right wing collided with a fence. The airplane then traveled through a ditch and came to rest upright in a field. The pilot reported that there was no preimpact failure or malfunction with the airplane or its systems. Postaccident inspection of the airplane and airstrip revealed damage to the right wing, including the lift strut. Marks on the runway revealed the airplane touched down about 800 feet before the departure end of the runway.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.