Cessna 172M accident near Lexington, North Carolina, March 7, 1987
On March 7, 1987 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N61639, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lexington, North Carolina (Lexington Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. 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
- March 7, 1987 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Lexington, North Carolina · Lexington Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N61639 · no longer on the register · serial 17264693
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTED THAT HE HAD TRANSITIONED TO A VISUAL APPROACH, FOLLOWING A SIMULATED RADAR APPROACH TO THE RWY USING VECTORS AND DESCENT INFO SUPPLIED BY AN INSTRUMENT-RATED SAFETY PLT IN THE RT SEAT. THE SAFETY PLT WAS THE PLT'S FORMER INSTRUCTOR. THE PLT TOLD THE SAFETY PLT THAT HE FELT THAT THE ACFT WAS TOO HIGH TO LAND, AND THAT A GO-AROUND MIGHT BE ADVISABLE. THE SAFETY PLT TOLD HIM THAT THERE WAS ENOUGH ROOM TO LAND AND THE PLT CONTINUED THE DESCENT. THE PLT REPORTED THAT HE STILL HAD INTENTIONS OF GOING AROUND WHEN THE SAFETY PLT LOWERED THE FLAPS ABOUT 1/3 OF THE WAY DOWN THE RWY, AT ABOUT 25 FT AGL. THE ACFT SUBSEQUENTLY TOUCHED DOWN SLIGHTLY OVER HALFWAY DOWN THE 3300 FOOT RWY, AND OVERRAN THE END.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 285 hours in all; 56 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,318 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 4, 1986; 44 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Fred Smith Enterprises
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 2,300 ft by 65 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.