Cessna 172P accident near Yankton, South Dakota, September 28, 1997
On September 28, 1997 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N52419, was substantially damaged in an accident near Yankton, South Dakota (Yankton/Chan Gurney Muni 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 maintain control of the aircraft. A factor contributing to the accident was the wind gusts.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 28, 1997 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Yankton, South Dakota · Yankton/Chan Gurney Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N52419 · registry record · serial 17274512
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
In a written statement, the pilot reported that the winds were reported between 280 and 290 at 18 knots with gusts to 20. While on final for runway 31, the airplane was configured with no flaps extended, at an airspeed of 75 knots. The airplane touched down on the upwind wheel first, then 'gently lifted off the runway.' Soon after, the airplane banked to the left to a heading approximately 20 to 30 degrees left of the runway centerline. The pilot reports that he corrected to the right, but by this time the airplane was over the grass between the runway and the taxiway. Shortly thereafter, the airplane collided with the terrain. It rocked over onto the nose before settling back onto the main gear. In a verbal statement, the pilot said that he may have been 'relieved' to be on the ground following the initial touchdown, causing him to relax his crosswind correction.
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: 103 hours in all; 103 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 35 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,090 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 21, 1997; 81 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D25 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: YKN at 9:00 pm
- Destination: YKN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 6,100 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 22 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 pm from YKN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N52419 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.