Cessna 172 accident near Geuda Springs, Kansas, October 24, 2020
On October 24, 2020 at about 10:30 pm local time, a 1956 Cessna 172, registered N5910A, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff (rejected takeoff) near Geuda Springs, Kansas (Mcclaskey airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to determine the airplane’s takeoff performance from an off-airport field which resulted in an aborted takeoff and impact with a fence and terrain. Contributing to the accident was the delayed aborted takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 24, 2020 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Geuda Springs, Kansas · Mcclaskey · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172, built 1956 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N5910A · registry record · serial 28510
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and his passenger had landed the airplane in a friend’s off-airport field. After a brief visit, the pilot preflighted the airplane, started the engine, and proceeded to take off. About halfway down the field, the pilot realized he was not going to get off the ground in time and elected to abort the takeoff. The airplane struck a terrace and bounced into the air. As the end of the field approached, the pilot tried to settle the airplane back on the ground. The airplane struck a fence and nosed over, coming to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, left wing strut, and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff (rejected takeoff) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Performance calculations › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Takeoff distance › Attain/maintain not possible
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 305 hours in all; 256 in this make and model; 62 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 244 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 10, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: student
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,739.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 20, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1K1 Benton KS at 8:45 pm
- Destination: WLD Winfield KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway None, 1,800 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 97°F (36°C), dew point 86°F (30°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 5:15 pm from WLD, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 4, 2021. 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 | NTSB Form 6120.1-2, Pilot-operator Aircraft Accident-incident Report | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Report Photographs | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.