Cessna 172 accident near Wesbter, South Dakota, March 19, 1985
On March 19, 1985 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N7979B, was destroyed in an accident near Wesbter, South Dakota (Webster airport). It was an instructional 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 19, 1985 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Wesbter, South Dakota · Webster · 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
- N7979B · registry record · serial 48479
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT MADE A TOUCH AND GO LANDING ON A GRASS RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED 6 FEET IN THE AIR DURING LANDING AND A GO AROUND WAS INITIATED. THE AIRPLANE WAS THEN ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH AIRPORT OBSTACLES. THE PILOT INITIATED A LEFT TURN, THE AIRCRAFT STALLED AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE STUDENT PILOT SAID THE INITIAL LANDING BOUNCE WAS A RESULT OF CROSSING A DRAINAGE DITCH IN THE RUNWAY.
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
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 35 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 7 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 2, 1985; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 1,800 ft by 300 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.