Cessna 172P accident near Lanai City, Hawaii, May 1, 2021
On May 1, 2021 at about 9:20 pm local time, a 1984 Cessna 172P, registered N3929, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Lanai City, Hawaii (Lanai airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The solo student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing in crosswind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion and a nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 1, 2021 · about 9:20 pm local time
- Place
- Lanai City, Hawaii · Lanai · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P, built 1984 · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N3929 · registry record · serial 17276061
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo student pilot reported that, after an uneventful cross-country flight, she arrived at her destination airport with the intent of conducting touch-and-go landings. During the landing flare the airplane encountered a gust of wind, drifted left, and the left main tire contacted the runway’s surface. Subsequently, the airplane settled onto the runway and veered to the left, she applied rudder inputs to correct for the veer to no avail. The airplane then exited the left side of the runway, the nose gear collapsed, and the airplane nosed over sustaining substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and right-wing lift strut. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 63 hours in all; 63 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 3 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,738.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 23, 2021; -33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 3,739 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PHNL Honolulu HI at 8:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 03/2, 5,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 am from PHNY
Weather report (METAR): PHNY 012156Z AUTO 30007KT 10SM 23/22 A3014 RMK AO2 SLP187 T02330217 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on November 12, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo (Source Unknown) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.