Cessna 172E N3965S

Summary

On 2 September 2021 at about 18:30 local time, a Cessna 172E registered N3965S, operated by Jepsen William R Trustee, was involved in an accident near Enterprise, Oregon, 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

2 September 2021 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Enterprise, Oregon, United States

Nearest airport

Enterprise Municipal Airport (8S4)

Coordinates

45.4245, -117.2647

Aircraft

Cessna 172E

Registration

N3965S

Category

Airplane

Year built

1964

Engines

1

Operator

Jepsen William R Trustee

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Dug Bar → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR21LA337

Nobody was injured.

The fatigue fracture of the nose gear upper torque link, which resulted in the separation of the torque link from the shock strut and a loss of directional control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During landing, when the nose gear contacted the runway, the airplane immediately veered to the right, exited the runway surface, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the nose gear upper torque link had fractured near the shock strut mount and separated from the shock strut, which resulted in a loss of directional control. Metallurgical examination of the fracture surfaces of the upper torque link revealed signatures consistent with a fatigue fracture.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.