Cessna 172 N8620B

Summary

On 14 March 2019 at about 18:40 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N8620B was involved in an accident near Lakeway, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 March 2019 at 18:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Lakeway, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Lakeway Airpark (3R9)

Coordinates

30.3514, -97.9939

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N8620B

Category

Airplane

Year built

1958

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lakeway → Lakeway

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN19FA099

1 person died.

A partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined, and the flight instructor's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack while maneuvering for a forced landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent loss of control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor and student pilot were conducting takeoffs and landings in the airport traffic pattern. A flight instructor and pilot on the ground reported that the accident airplane's engine was "cutting in and out" or "sputtering" following an aborted landing. Both witnesses reported that the airplane appeared to be maneuvering to return to the runway when the airplane entered a left turn, then descended in a steep, nose-down attitude consistent with an aerodynamic stall. The common traffic advisory frequency recording captured a transmission that indicated the flight instructor might attempt to return to the airport. The airplane impacted a tree and then a road sign in a mostly residential area.  A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. The propeller exhibited signs of rotation and propeller strike marks were found on the ground at the accident site. Although the witness reports indicated a possible loss of power, the reason for the partial loss of engine power could not be determined based on the postaccident examination. After the partial loss of engine power, the flight instructor attempted a turn at low altitude, during which he failed to maintain proper airspeed and exceeded the airplane's critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a loss of control at an altitude too low for recovery.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.