Cessna 172P accident near Ozark, Missouri, October 14, 2011
On October 14, 2011 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N54356, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Ozark, Missouri (Gimlin 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 inadequate compensation for gusty crosswind conditions while on approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 14, 2011 · about 9:15 pm local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Ozark, Missouri · Gimlin Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N54356 · no longer on the register · serial 17274961
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that she made two landing approaches to the north, but each attempt resulted in a go-around because she was unable to maintain runway alignment due to a strong crosswind. The pilot decided to make the next approach to the south. She stated that while on final approach the airplane suddenly lost altitude, collided with terrain short of the runway, and nosed over. The airplane's engine firewall, vertical stabilizer, and right wing were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded the normal operation of the airplane. A witness located at the airport reported that the wind was out of the west at 16 knots. A review of nearby weather stations indicated that the wind was variable from the south-to-northwest between 5 and 9 knots, gusting to 16 knots.
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
What happened, in order
- Other weather encounter during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Landing area undershoot during landing defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Ability to respond/compensate
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Ability to respond/compensate
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 337 hours in all; 330 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 28, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,844 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 3, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KSGF Springfield MO at 8:45 pm
- Destination: 18MO Ozark MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,600 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 9 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 8:52 pm from KSGF, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on October 31, 2011. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Correspondence | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Local Weather Reports | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Additional Weather Information | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N54356: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk 20,686 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,677 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J 96 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Gimlin Airport · nearest airport
- Springfield-Branson Ntl Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Missouri 1,640 since 1982 · 219 in the last ten years
- Missouri 5,819 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN12CA022.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.