Cessna 172P accident near Redstone Arsnl, Alabama, March 12, 2005
On March 12, 2005 at about 1:58 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N5456K, was destroyed in an accident near Redstone Arsnl, Alabama (Redstone Aaf 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 pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during approach, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent collision with the runway. Factors were the turbulence and crosswind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 12, 2005 · about 1:58 pm local time
- Place
- Redstone Arsnl, Alabama · Redstone Aaf · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N5456K · no longer on the register · serial 17274122
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated he departed and immediately encountered "very turbulent wind" and decided to return for landing. The pilot stated the airplane was very difficult to control in all three axes. The pilot stated that, while on final approach just over runway 17, he observed the airspeed around 60 knots and the stall warning was flickering. The pilot stated he added power and reduced flaps for a go-around. He stated the airplane stalled, and he continued to pull back on the yoke. The airplane collided with the runway and caught fire. Two witnesses on the ramp observed the airplane on final approach and reported it appeared to have approximately 30 degrees of crab into the wind. One witness reported the airplane's nose pitched up, dropped suddenly, then about 30 feet above the ground, the airplane's nosed pitched up again, followed by an abrupt drop to the runway. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunction with the airplane. A review of recorded weather data from Huntsville International Airport, Huntsville, Alabama, located 4.6 nautical miles west of the accident site, revealed at 0753 winds were reported from 230 degrees at 12 knots.
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: 207 hours in all; 72 in this make and model
- Last flight review: November 13, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,337 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 11, 2005; 1 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Redstone Arsnl AL
- Destination: KFYM Fayetteville TN
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 17, 7,300 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.77 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from KHSV, 5 miles away
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.