Cessna 172 accident near Carrollton, Missouri, October 29, 2000
On October 29, 2000 at about 1:50 am local time, a Cessna 172, registered N8611B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Carrollton, Missouri (Carrollton Memorial Arpt 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 misjudged touchdown point by the pilot. Factors were the runway lights not on, the dark night, and the plowed field.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 29, 2000 · about 1:50 am local time
- Place
- Carrollton, Missouri · Carrollton Memorial Arpt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N8611B · registry record · serial 36311
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a precautionary landing, the airplane ran off of the end of the runway, crossed a ditch, and nosed over in a corn field. The pilot said that he diverted due to deteriorating weather. At his selected alternate, he found that the runway lights were not on and he could not activate them using the aircraft radio. The pilot called 911 on his cellular phone to have the lights turned on. He said that he circled the airport for about 30 minutes before a highway patrol car arrived. He said that he circled until the ceiling had deteriorated to about 400 feet agl and then attempted to land on the unlighted runway. He said that he landed long and decided to abort the landing. The airplane nosed over in a plowed field. No notices to airmen had been issued regarding the runway lights at the accident airport. The pilot reported no mechanical difficulties in his written report.
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: 4,000 hours in all; 3,500 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 4,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SGF Springfield MO
- Destination: TRX Trenton MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,600 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 080° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 138°F (59°C), dew point 129°F (54°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 am from SZL, 35 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.