Cessna 172L accident near Gadsden, Alabama, September 29, 2004
On September 29, 2004 at about 7:17 pm local time, a Cessna 172L, registered N4336Q, was destroyed in an accident near Gadsden, Alabama. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructors failure to maintain clearance and his inadequate visual lookout while flying low over a river resulting in an in-flight collision with a wire.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 29, 2004 · about 7:17 pm local time
- Place
- Gadsden, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172L · all 172Ls on the register
- Registration
- N4336Q · registry record · serial 17260236
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A witness heard the airplane approaching his home flying towards the south. He looked out his window and observed the red and white airplane in straight and level flight above the tree tops. The airplane was observed to make a steep right turn and disappeared from view. The witness heard a "pop" sound and immediately left his house to investigate. He arrived at the Coosa River and observed the power lines on both sides of the river had been broken. The airplane was recovered with a power line and transformer still attached to the right main landing gear strut fairing. Wire marks were present on the right main landing gear strut fairing inboard of the brake assembly and extended inboard 5 1/2-inches. Examination of the airframe, flight controls, engine assembly and accessories revealed no anomalies.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,056 hours in all; 242 in this make and model; 540 as pilot in command; 233 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 11, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
Dual student
- Flight time: 12 hours in all
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,747.2 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 28, 2004; 83.1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GAD Gadsden AL at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,800 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 7:40 pm from 4A9, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.