Cessna 172K accident near Romney, West Virginia, April 3, 2010
On April 3, 2010 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172K, registered N79234, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Romney, West Virginia (Eastview Private Airport). It was a personal 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 pilot's improper decision to land with a 20-knot tailwind and his failure to initiate a go-around, which resulted in a runway overrun.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 3, 2010 · about 6:30 pm local time · cases in 2010
- Place
- Romney, West Virginia · Eastview Private Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172K · all 172Ks on the register
- Registration
- N79234 · registry record · serial 17257986
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While landing on a 2,290-foot private turf runway, the airplane continued beyond the end of the runway, went through a barbed wire fence, and collided with a tree. The pilot stated that he landed with a 20-knot tailwind and was unable to stop before the end of the runway. The airplane’s right wing was substantially damaged. No mechanical malfunctions or failures were reported by the pilot.
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
What happened, in order
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Decision related to condition
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 958 hours in all; 638 in this make and model; 0 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days; 845 as pilot in command; 281 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 26, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,986 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 30, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WV67 Romney WV at 5:15 pm
- Destination: WV67 Romney WV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 2,290 ft by 20 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 6:28 pm from CBE, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on June 10, 2010. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Interview Summary | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 1 - Front View of Airplane (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 2 - Rear View of Airplane (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N79234 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk 20,692 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,677 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES 27,304 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Eastview Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in West Virginia 424 since 1982 · 54 in the last ten years
- West Virginia 885 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA10CA212.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.