Cessna 172P N5456K

Summary

On 12 March 2005 at about 13:58 local time, a Cessna 172P registered N5456K was involved in an accident near Redstone Arsnl, Alabama, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 March 2005 at 13:58

Classification

Accident

Location

Redstone Arsnl, Alabama, United States

Nearest airport

Redstone AAF (KHUA)

Coordinates

34.6719, -86.6922

Aircraft

Cessna 172P

Registration

N5456K

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Redstone Arsnl → Fayetteville

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL05CA062

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during approach, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent collision with the runway. Factors were the turbulence and crosswind conditions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated he departed and immediately encountered "very turbulent wind" and decided to return for landing. The pilot stated the airplane was very difficult to control in all three axes. The pilot stated that, while on final approach just over runway 17, he observed the airspeed around 60 knots and the stall warning was flickering. The pilot stated he added power and reduced flaps for a go-around. He stated the airplane stalled, and he continued to pull back on the yoke. The airplane collided with the runway and caught fire. Two witnesses on the ramp observed the airplane on final approach and reported it appeared to have approximately 30 degrees of crab into the wind. One witness reported the airplane's nose pitched up, dropped suddenly, then about 30 feet above the ground, the airplane's nosed pitched up again, followed by an abrupt drop to the runway. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunction with the airplane. A review of recorded weather data from Huntsville International Airport, Huntsville, Alabama, located 4.6 nautical miles west of the accident site, revealed at 0753 winds were reported from 230 degrees at 12 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.