Cessna 172M accident near Fayetteville, West Virginia, April 29, 1988
On April 29, 1988 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N13261, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fayetteville, West Virginia (Fayette 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
THE PILOT LANDED LONG AND WITH EXCESSIVE AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN AN OVERRUN OF THE RUNWAY. INADEQUATE INFLIGHT PLANNING IS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 29, 1988 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Fayetteville, West Virginia · Fayette · 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
- N13261 · registry record · serial 17262620
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, AFTER USING THE TETRAHEDRON TO DETERMINE THE WIND DIRECTION, HE LANDED ON RWY 03. THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING THE LANDING FLARE, THE ACFT FLOATED AND DID NOT TOUCH DOWN UNTIL HALFWAY DOWN THE RUNWAY. HE STATED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO STOP BEFORE HE OVERRAN THE RWY AND STRUCK A FENCE. ACCORDING TO A PILOT-WITNESS, THE LOCAL WINDS WERE VARIABLE AT 20 KTS. THE WITNESS STATED THE WIND FAVORED A LANDING ON RWY 03. THE WITNESS STATED THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN 1000 FT DOWN THE RWY. ACCORDING TO THE WITNESS, THIS WAS THE PILOT'S THIRD ATTEMPT TO LAND. THE PILOT REPORTED NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 209 hours in all; 172 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 179 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,620 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: I62 Brookville OH at 8:00 pm
- Destination: I89 Fayetteville WV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 2,145 ft by 20 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:00 pm from CRW
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.