Cessna 172B accident near Mt. Airy, North Carolina, March 30, 1999
On March 30, 1999 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172B, registered N7821X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mt. Airy, North Carolina (Pvt airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain proper airspeed during landing and his failure to attain a proper touchdown point on the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 30, 1999 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mt. Airy, North Carolina · Pvt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172B · all 172Bs on the register
- Registration
- N7821X · no longer on the register · serial 17248321
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The accident occurred during landing. According to the pilot, he flared the airplane near the end of the runway and the airplane continued to fly about two to three feet above ground. He stated that he had too much airspeed and he had used up about half the 1600 foot grass runway before touching down. The pilot also stated that after touchdown, he knew he could not stop before the end of the runway and that he could not make a go-around because of trees on the west end of the runway. The airplane subsequently departed the runway and collided with a tree. No mechanical problems with the airplane were reported by the pilot.
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
- Flight time: 824 hours in all; 350 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 62 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,788 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 21, 1998; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MWK at 5:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 1,600 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from INT, 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.
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.