Cessna 172K accident near Hendersonville, North Carolina, April 20, 1983
On April 20, 1983 at about 7:10 pm local time, a Cessna 172K, registered N5457D, was destroyed in an accident near Hendersonville, North Carolina (Hendersonville airport). It was an instructional 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 20, 1983 · about 7:10 pm local time
- Place
- Hendersonville, North Carolina · Hendersonville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172K · all 172Ks on the register
- Registration
- N5457D · registry record · serial 17272574
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PLT HAD STARTED TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS AFTER SOME AIR WORK. THE 1ST LANDING WAS SUCCESSFUL, BUT DURING THE 2ND A GUST OF WIND CARRIED THE ACFT OFF THE RUNWAY DURING THE FLARE. IN ATTEMPTING TO GO AROUND WITH FULL THROTTLE AND FLAPS RETRACTING, THE WING DRAGGED AND THE NOSE DUG IN. THE ACFT THEN NOSED OVER.
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: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 17 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 2 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,200 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 10, 1983; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 3,075 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°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.