Cessna 172H accident near Berryville, Arkansas, May 25, 2026
On May 25, 2026 at about 11:15 pm local time, a 1967 Cessna 172H, registered N2632L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Berryville, Arkansas (Trigger Gap airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. 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 pilot in command’s decision to continue the takeoff when the airplane was not airborne at midfield, and the student pilot’s likely improper technique that resulted in a lack of sufficient climb performance and subsequent loss of control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 25, 2026 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Berryville, Arkansas · Trigger Gap · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172H, built 1967 · all 172Hs on the register
- Registration
- N2632L · registry record · serial 17255832
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot-in-command was in the right front seat. She held a commercial pilot certificate and a current flight review endorsement. The passenger was in the left front seat. He held a student pilot certificate with a current 90-day solo endorsement and was flying the airplane during the accident takeoff. The airplane departed from a 3,000-foot-long grass airstrip with trees and powerlines off the departure end. The before takeoff checklist and engine run-up were completed without issue. The airplane used about 75% of the runway to become airborne. At that point, the student pilot (flying pilot) realized that the airplane was not going to clear the powerlines and trees. He turned the airplane to the left and “pulled back” on the flight control yoke. The airplane subsequently lost energy and impacted the ground near the departure end of the runway. Both pilots stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures associated with the airplane before the accident. They noted that aborting the takeoff, once the airplane was not airborne at the halfway point down the runway, might have prevented the accident. According to the Airplane Owner’s Manual, the estimated distance required to clear a 50-foot obstacle on a turf runway, under the accident conditions, was about 1,028 ft. The pilot’s decision to continue the takeoff when the airplane was not airborne near midfield was the beginning of the accident sequence. In the absence of any airplane anomalies, it is likely that the flying pilot’s handling technique resulted in the lack of sufficient climb performance, loss of control, and the impact with terrain.
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
- 300240 during nose over
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Climb rate › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Ratings: none, none, none, none
- Flight time: 131 hours in all; 126 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 37 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 28, 2026
- Medical certificate: basicmed
- Injury: minor injuries
Pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land, none, APLN, none
- Flight time: 339 hours in all; 241 in this make and model; 54 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 232 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 13, 2025
- Medical certificate: class 1
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,267.2 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, December 1, 2025; 55.8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 1,338 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: 17A Berryville AR at 11:15 pm
- Destination: FSM Fort Smith AR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 10, 3,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 5 knots, gusting 1
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scattered at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 79°C, dew point 59°C
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from KHRO, 23 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KHRO 252253Z AUTO 08005KT 10SM SCT045 SCT055 26/15 A3002
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 CEN26LA201.