Cessna 172M accident near Vandalia, Missouri, November 17, 2001
On November 17, 2001 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N4380R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Vandalia, Missouri. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's inadequate directional control on the previous landing resulting in the overload failure of the nose landing gear fork. Factors were the overload of the nose landing gear fork, and the student pilot's lack of total experience.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 17, 2001 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Vandalia, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N4380R · no longer on the register · serial 17263130
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane nosed over during the fourth touch and go landing on a grass airstrip. The nose wheel and portions of the landing gear fork were found 100 yards in front of the airplane. The fork was bent to the left and the fractures exhibited signatures consistent with overload failure. No other anomalies were found. The pilot said that the fourth landing was nose high and when the nose lowered during rollout, the airplane shuddered, stopped and nosed over.
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: student
- Flight time: 20 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,449 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 10, 2001; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Vandalia MO at 4:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,400 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.37 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from COU, 52 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.