Cessna R172K accident near Kirksville, Missouri, May 14, 2003
On May 14, 2003 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Cessna R172K, registered N9908V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kirksville, Missouri (Kirksville Regional 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 improper in-flight decision to land with a tailwind and failure to perform an aborted landing, resulting in the pilots decision to control the aircraft off of the right edge of the runway to avoid obstructions. Contributing factors were the tailwind, the sudden wind shift, the turbulence, and the obstacles.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 14, 2003 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Kirksville, Missouri · Kirksville Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna R172K · all R172Ks on the register
- Registration
- N9908V · registry record · serial R1722353
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage when it ran off the runway while landing. At the time of departure, the automated surface observing system (ASOS) on the airport was reporting winds 270 degrees magnetic at 9 knots. The pilot reported receiving the ASOS report prior to departure. About 15 minutes into the flight the pilot reported he encountered "extreme vertical turbulence" while on downwind. The ASOS reported the wind as 320 degrees at 23 knots gusting to 38 knots at 1755 cdt. The pilot landed on runway 18 and reported having difficulty braking and subsequently veered the airplane off the right edge of the runway 300 feet from the runways end. The pilot stated his decision to steer the aircraft off the runway was due to his approximation that the aircraft would collide with the approach lighting system 400 feet from the end of runway. The nose landing gear collapsed and the left wing struck the terrain as the airplane slid sideways after exiting the runway. The pilot reported he realized that other options, such as continuing to another airport or landing on runway 36, might have prevented the accident.
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: 531 hours in all; 391 in this make and model; 66 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 442 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 20, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,888.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2002; 104.9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IRK Kirksville MO at 10:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 6,005 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 23 knots, gusting 38
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,500 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from IRK
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.