Cessna 172M accident near Knighdale, North Carolina, June 11, 1991
On June 11, 1991 at about 3:30 am local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N12498, was substantially damaged in an accident near Knighdale, North Carolina (Raleigh East airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ATTAIN THE PROPER TOUCH DOWN POINT ON THE RUNWAY AND/OR PERFORM A GO-AROUND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 11, 1991 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- Knighdale, North Carolina · Raleigh East · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N12498 · no longer on the register · serial 17262022
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER PERFORMING A GO-AROUND, THE PILOT INITIATED A SECOND APPROACH TO LAND AT NIGHT. ON SHORT FINAL, HE INADVERTENTLY ACCELERATED THE AIRPLANE, AND IT BEGAN TO BALLOON ABOVE THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE LANDED LONG AND OVERRAN THE RUNWAY. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT COLLIDED WITH TWO AUTOMOBILES AND A PARKED AIRPLANE, THEN IT HIT A DITCH. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF HE HAD PERFORMED A GO-AROUND INSTEAD OF TRYING TO SALVAGE THE LANDING.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 360 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 288 in the last 90 days; 266 as pilot in command; 167 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 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: GWW Goldsboro NC at 3:00 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 1, 3,000 ft by 36 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.