Cessna 172 N5439E
23 September 2020 · La Grange, North Carolina, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 23 September 2020 at about 23:30 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N5439E was involved in an accident near La Grange, North Carolina, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 23:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- La Grange, North Carolina, United States
- Nearest airport
- Private (PVT)
- Coordinates
- 35.3068, -77.7880
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172
- Registration
- N5439E
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1978
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Goldsboro → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Dusk
- NTSB number
- ERA20LA336
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during final approach, which resulted in a collision with trees.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot stated that during short final approach to his private airstrip, a gust of wind blew his airplane left into trees, where it came to rest. The pilot added that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the wreckage revealed substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The wind was recorded as calm at an airport approximately 8 miles from the accident site, about 24 minutes after the accident.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 172 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Sep 2020 | Cessna 172 | Higginsville, Missouri, United States | University of Central Missouri | No injuries | - |
| 6 Feb 2020 | Cessna 172 | Palmer, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 2 May 2020 | Cessna 172 | Fresno, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Aug 2020 | Cessna 172 | Conway, Arkansas, United States | Barrett Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 3 Oct 2020 | Cessna 172 | Hinckley, Minnesota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 31 Dec 2020 | Cessna 172R | Hope, Alaska, United States | Elmendorf Air Force Base Aero Club | Minor injuries | - |
All 12,209 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Dec 2020 | Mooney M20TN | Holly Ridge, North Carolina, United States | MBS Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 22 Aug 2020 | Aeronca 11AC | Nebo, North Carolina, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 Feb 2020 | Cessna 172 | Fayetteville, North Carolina, United States | Cape Fear Aviation Maintenance Llc | Serious injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 2020 | Piper PA28R | Fletcher, North Carolina, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 May 2020 | Zenith ZODIAC CH 650 | Carthage, North Carolina, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Nov 2020 | Bell 206 | Raleigh, North Carolina, United States | North Carolina State Highway Patrol | No injuries | - |