NTSB WPR21LA324 — 2021-08-07 · Athol, Idaho, United States

Current FAA registration · N4110L

Make / Model: CESSNA 172G
Year of manufacture: 1966 · 55 years old at event
Engine: CONT MOTOR 0-300 SER (145 hp)
Seats / Engines: 4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19660203
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A4DA3A

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N4110L Cessna 172 None

Probable cause & findings

The failure of the windshield during spin recovery for reasons that were not determined.

Factual narrative

The flight instructor reported that before demonstrating spin recovery to the student pilot, he confirmed that the weight and balance met the requirements for the utility category. The flight instructor stated that as the spin reached the fully developed state, he began to execute the recovery procedure by reducing power to idle, ailerons remained at neutral, opposite rudder control to stop the turn, and the elevator forward. During the recovery, he noted that the airspeed did not exceed 110 mph which was 12 mph below the design maneuvering speed of 122 mph. Subsequently, the windshield shattered during the recovery process. The flight instructor immediately landed the airplane at the airport that he was maneuvering over without further incident. An examination of the airplane revealed that about half of the windshield separated. The airplane fuselage, wings and empennage were not damaged. The reason for the windshield failure was not determined. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

— Aircraft-Aircraft structures-Windows-windshield system-Flight compartment windows-Failure
— Not determined-Not determined-(general)-(general)-Unknown/Not determined

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2021_WPR21LA324.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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