Cessna 172M accident near Statesville, North Carolina, March 23, 2011
On March 23, 2011 at about 2:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N32SF, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near Statesville, North Carolina (Allison Private Airstrip airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The certified flight instructor's inadequate remedial action during the go-around, which resulted in a collision with trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 23, 2011 · about 2:45 pm local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Statesville, North Carolina · Allison Private Airstrip · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N32SF · registry record · serial 17264958
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certified flight instructor stated that during an instructional flight he and his student departed a private grass strip on runway 22. They climbed to 800 feet and turned left toward the airport in order to simulate an engine out emergency. The instructor reduced the power and the student pilot turned back towards the grass strip to land on runway 4. During the final approach to landing, the airplane encountered a tailwind and, in an attempt to go-around, the airplane collided with trees at the end of the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the firewall, fuselage, and wings. The pilots reported no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane. The nearest airport’s weather observation system reported that the wind at the time of the accident was from 210 degrees at 6 knots.
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
- Simulated/training event during initial climb
- Other weather encounter during approach (VFR go-around)
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during approach (VFR go-around) defining event
- Collision during takeoff/land during approach (VFR go-around)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Awareness of condition
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,500 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 8,350 as pilot in command; 6,750 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 10, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 68 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16,589 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 18, 2011; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Compass 21 INC
The flight
- Departed from: 31A Mocksville NC at 1:35 pm
- Destination: 31A Mocksville NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04, 3,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.72 inHg
- Observation at 2:40 pm from SVH, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on June 28, 2011. 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 | Other Pertinent Forms and Reports-instructor Statement. | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Other Pertinent Forms and Reports-student Pilot Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 1 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 2 | 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
- N32SF on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk 20,693 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,678 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320 SERIES 27,305 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in North Carolina 1,762 since 1982 · 304 in the last ten years
- North Carolina 7,130 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA11CA205.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.