Cessna 172 accident near Meridianville, Alabama, June 13, 2004
On June 13, 2004 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N98981, was substantially damaged in an accident near Meridianville, Alabama (Madison County Executive airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during an attempted takeoff, which resulted in the on ground collision with the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 13, 2004 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Meridianville, Alabama · Madison County Executive · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N98981 · registry record · serial 17276390
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that the airplane touched down smoothly. He stated that when he advanced the throttle to takeoff, the airplane began to turn left, and he responded by depressing the right rudder. The pilot stated that the airplane began to "fish-tail." The airplane veered off the left side of the runway into the grass, and the nose wheel assembly was torn from the airframe. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the nose gear separated from the fuselage, the lower firewall was cracked, and the propeller was bent on one side. The pilot stated that "he should have exercised better directional control on takeoff". The pilot reported no mechanical problems with the airplane.
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/WATER during takeoff - roll/run
- ON GROUND/WATER ENCOUNTER WITH TERRAIN/WATER during takeoff - roll/run
- NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED during takeoff - roll/run
Pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land, none, none, none
- Flight time: 68 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 36 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 10, 2003
- Medical certificate: class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,602.5 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 12, 2004; 2.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O 320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: KMDQ Meridianville AL at 2:20 pm
- Destination: KMDQ Meridianville AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 5,008 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; scattered at 3,800 ft
- Temperature: 79°C, dew point 70°C
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 3:00 pm from kmdq
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL04CA131.