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WPR23LA210

2023-06-03 · Prescott, Arizona, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport PRC

Current FAA registration · N249K

Make / Model
CESSNA 172S
Year of manufacture
2022 · 1 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING IO-360-L2A (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20220519
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A2524F

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was his delayed decision to initiate a go-around.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that, during a discovery flight, he allowed the passenger to assume control of the airplane and guided her through various maneuvers. The passenger remained in control until reaching short final of the landing. The pilot noticed that the approach was slow and steep, prompting him to take control. He executed an early round-out maneuver and flare, but realized the airplane was too high and was responding poorly, leading him to initiate a go-around procedure. Right before he could increase the power, the left wing experienced an aerodynamic stall and dropped, resulting in contact with the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures 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-Landing flare-Incorrect use/operation
  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of equip/system-Pilot
  • — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Identification/recognition-Pilot
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Airspeed-Not attained/maintained

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2023_WPR23LA210.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 (stall, go-around). All research papers