Cessna 172N accident near Meridianville, Alabama, January 16, 1995
On January 16, 1995 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N739RN, was substantially damaged in an accident near Meridianville, Alabama (Madison County Executive airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the student pilot to maintain directional control of the aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 16, 1995 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Meridianville, Alabama · Madison County Executive · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N739RN · registry record · serial 172-70746
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT WAS EXECUTING A PRACTICE TOUCH AND GO LANDING. HE STATED THAT AFTER A SMOOTH LANDING, HE ADDED POWER TO GO AROUND FOR ANOTHER LANDING. AFTER ADDING POWER, THE AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY TO THE LEFT. HE STATED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT LEFT TURN PRIOR TO DEPARTURE OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT HIT A DITCH EMBANKMENT, AND 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
- Flight time: 36 hours in all; 23 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,081 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 7, 1994
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: M82 at 10:15 pm
- Destination: M82 AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 3,800 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,900 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from HSV, 25 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL95LA041.