Cessna 172L accident near Kill Devil Hlls, North Carolina, September 17, 2004
On September 17, 2004 at about 2:25 pm local time, a Cessna 172L, registered N986AC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kill Devil Hlls, North Carolina (First Flight airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An in-flight encounter with a downdraft on final approach, which resulted in a loss of control of the airplane and subsequent collision with the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 17, 2004 · about 2:25 pm local time
- Place
- Kill Devil Hlls, North Carolina · First Flight · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172L · all 172Ls on the register
- Registration
- N986AC · registry record · serial 17259289
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated he completed seven or eight touch-and-go landings uneventfully. The pilot stated that, while on final approach for the last touch-and-go about 70 feet above the ground, the airplane sank uncontrollably. The pilot stated he added power, and the airplane continued to sink until it collided with the ground. A review of recorded weather data for the airport revealed at 1021 winds were from 150 degrees at 8 knots, direction variable between 121 and 181 degrees, sky condition clear. At 1100, winds were from 150 degrees at 9 knots gusting to 15 knots, direction variable between 131 degrees and 201 degrees, sky condition scattered at 3000, 5000, and 9000 feet. A review of satellite imagery revealed the presence of cumulus clouds in the area.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 735 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Wright Flight, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: KMQI Manteo NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.