Cessna 172 N972WW

Summary

On 1 March 2026 at about 22:30 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N972WW, operated by Chapel Hill Flying Club Inc DBA, was involved in an accident near Carthage, North Carolina, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 March 2026 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Carthage, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Gilliam - Mc Connell Airfield (BQ1)

Coordinates

35.3409, -79.4357

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N972WW

Category

Airplane

Year built

2002

Engines

1

Operator

Chapel Hill Flying Club Inc DBA

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sanford → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA26LA143

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from trees while on final approach for landing. Contributing to the accident were the flight instructor’s inadequate remedial actions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The purpose of the flight was for the pilot to gain experience with soft and short field landings with a flight instructor. The pilot stated that after departing, they proceeded to a nearby airport, whose runway was about 2,500 ft-long by 36 ft-wide. After completing a successful landing, they remained in the pattern for another short field landing. While on final approach, the airplane was too far to the right of the runway centerline. At an altitude of about 50 to 60 ft above ground level, the airplane’s right wing struck the tops of trees that were close the runway edge and were difficult to see due to the position of the sun. After impacting the trees, the pilot performed a go-around. The airplane operated normally and the pilot and the instructor decided to return to an airport with longer runway. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right wing had sustained substantial damage. Both the pilot and the instructor reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.