NTSB WPR23LA325 — 2023-08-25 · Carson City, Nevada, United States

Current FAA registration · N4432R

Make / Model: CESSNA 172M
Year of manufacture: 1974 · 49 years old at event
Engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines: 4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19740415
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A55870

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N4432R Cessna 172M Serious

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control during an aborted landing in gusting wind conditions.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that during landing, the airplane encountered a gust of wind and ballooned above the runway. Just before touchdown, the airplane encountered a second gust of wind and the pilot added engine power to abort the landing. Subsequently, the airplane drifted to the left and touched down on the parallel taxiway, skidded across the taxiway, and then impacted a ditch. The airplane’s engine mount and fuselage were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

— Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
— Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Gusts-Response/compensation
— Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Lateral/bank control-Not attained/maintained

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2023_WPR23LA325.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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