Skip to content

CEN24LA071

2023-12-17 · Stephenville, Texas, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport SEP

Current FAA registration · N4501E

Make / Model
CESSNA 172N
Engine
LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19781003
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A5749C

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing that resulted in an impact with terrain.

Factual narrative

The student pilot stated that when he entered the destination airport traffic pattern for landing, there were strong wind gusts that were not on the automated weather observing system report. He said the airplane’s descent during the approach was stable, so he decided to continue the approach for landing. He said that shortly after the airplane’s nose wheel landing gear touched down on the runway, the airplane caught a strong wind gust that resulted in a weathervane effect and a sharp change in its direction to the right. He then applied left rudder control input, but the airplane veered to the right and off the runway where it impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot stated there was no preaccident failures or malfunctions the airplane that would have precluded normal operations. 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-Directional control-Not attained/maintained

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2023_CEN24LA071.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.