NTSB CEN23LA400 — 2023-09-03 · Eden Prairie, Minnesota, United States

Current FAA registration · N5254D

Make / Model: CESSNA 172N
Year of manufacture: 1979 · 44 years old at event
Engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines: 4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19790327
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A69E69

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N5254D Cessna 172N None

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during a landing with a left crosswind.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that while landing, he took out the crosswind correction too soon, and the airplane veered to the left. The right wing dipped and struck the runway. The airplane became momentarily airborne again and when it settled back to the runway, the propeller struck the ground. The airplane exited the runway and came to rest in the grass. The right wing was substantially damaged. The pilot landed on runway 28R with wind 230°at 8 kts. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

— Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
— Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained
— Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Effect on operation

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2023_CEN23LA400.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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