Cessna 172 N78658

Summary

On 30 June 2019 at about 18:50 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N78658, operated by Obx Airplanes Llc, was involved in an accident near Manteo, North Carolina, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 June 2019 at 18:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Manteo, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Dare County Rgnl (MQI)

Coordinates

35.9189, -75.6956

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N78658

Category

Airplane

Year built

1968

Engines

1

Operator

Obx Airplanes Llc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Manteo → Manteo

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA19CA439

4 people had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, during initial climb, he "started to feel the airspeed drop" and that he attempted to regain airspeed by lowering the airplane's nose. The airspeed continued to drop, and the airplane aerodynamically stalled and subsequently impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, both wings, the horizontal stabilizer, and the elevator. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.