Cessna 172F accident near Marietta, Oklahoma, June 21, 2006
On June 21, 2006, a Cessna 172F, registered N8649U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Marietta, Oklahoma (Mcgehee Catfish Rest Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper weather evaluation. Contributing factors were the strong tailwind and the high density altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 21, 2006
- Place
- Marietta, Oklahoma · Mcgehee Catfish Rest Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172F · all 172Fs on the register
- Registration
- N8649U · no longer on the register · serial 17252551
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 289-hour private pilot elected to takeoff from runway 35, a 2,450-foot long, by 55-foot wide grass airstrip that sloped downhill, with a known 15-knot tailwind. The pilot stated in the Pilot/Operator Accident/Incident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1) that he had previously departed from the same airport a few times during similar weather conditions. The pilot, who reported having accumulated a total of 200-hours in the same make and model aircraft, indicated that he configured the airplane for takeoff with 20 degrees of flap since the runway was "a rough grass airstrip." The pilot stated that the takeoff was normal and climb performance was normal until he reached tree-top level. At that time the airspeed dropped to about 40 miles per hour and the aircraft stopped climbing. The pilot added that it became apparent to him at that time that he was not going to clear the trees and began to maneuver around the trees in an attempt to turn the airplane into the wind. The pilot further stated that "we got boxed into a corner and wound up hitting some trees on the northwest side of the field." A large tree trunk impaled the windshield and the airplane came to rest nose-down and in an inverted position. There was no post crash fire. The pilot received serious injuries and his passenger received minor injuries. Both occupants were able to egress from the single-engine airplane through the broken windscreen unassisted. The pilot reported that "he had been taught that on runways with a very steep hill [slope], the pilot should always land uphill and takeoff downhill, regardless of wind direction." Recorded weather at the nearest weather reporting station, located 15 nautical miles to the south of the accident site, were reporting wind from 160 degrees at 14 knots, gusting to 22 knots, clear skies, and a temperature of 32 degrees Celsius. The Investigator-in-Charge calculated the density altitude at 2,928 feet.
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: 289 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 260 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,962.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2005; 22.2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: T40 Marietta OK at 11:55 pm
- Destination: 52F Roanoke TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 2,450 ft by 55 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 14 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
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.
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.