NTSB ERA11CA347 — 2011-06-15 · Belle Glades, Florida, United States

Current FAA registration · N4954G

Make / Model: CESSNA 172N
Year of manufacture: 1979 · 32 years old at event
Engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines: 4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19791114
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A62596

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N4954G Cessna 172N None

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during the landing approach.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that while conducting flight maneuvers he encountered inclement weather. After electing to divert to a nearby airport, he encountered high winds, gusting winds, and rain showers in the landing pattern. He was unable to land on his first approach due to a gusting cross wind. After conducting a go-around, reattempting a landing approach, the pilot was unable to align the aircraft due to the winds and attempted a second go-around. However, the gusting wind caused him to lose control of the airplane and subsequently impacted the ground. During the accident sequence, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and firewall. Winds in the vicinity were reported at 15 knots with gusts of 28 knots. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operations. The pilot reported that while conducting flight maneuvers he encountered inclement weather. After electing to divert to a nearby airport, he encountered gusting wind and rain showers in the landing pattern. He was unable to land on his first approach due to a gusting crosswind. After conducting a go-around and reattempting a landing approach, the pilot was unable to align the aircraft due to the wind and attempted a second go-around. However, the gusting wind caused him to lose control of the airplane, which subsequently impacted the ground. During the accident sequence, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and firewall. The wind in the vicinity was reported to be 15 knots with gusts of 28 knots. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
C Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Gusts-Effect on operation - C
C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-(general)-Not attained/maintained - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2011_ERA11CA347.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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Related research

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