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CEN24LA069

2023-12-18 · Texarkana, Arkansas, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport TXK

Current FAA registration · N4104X

Make / Model
AERO COMMANDER 100
Year of manufacture
1968 · 55 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19680105
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A4D71A

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s improper decision to attempt a go-around with full flaps extended, which resulted in decreased climb performance and led to a collision with trees.

Factual narrative

The flight instructor, who was at the flight controls, and the student pilot departed runway 31 and entered the left traffic pattern. The instructor reported that during the pattern, he lost situational awareness and aligned the airplane on final approach for runway 4 with full flaps extended. Upon realizing his error, he applied full power and turned right to enter the downwind for runway 31, but he did not retract the flaps. The airplane was unable to climb and impacted a heavily wooded area. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, fuselage, vertical stabilizer, and horizontal stabilizer. The flight instructor reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Altitude-Not attained/maintained
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Terrain-(general)-Ability to respond/compensate
  • — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Instructor/check pilot
  • — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Incorrect action selection-Instructor/check pilot
  • — Personnel issues-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Monitoring environment-Instructor/check pilot
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Aircraft capability-Climb capability-Attain/maintain not possible

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2023_CEN24LA069.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (go-around). All research papers