Cessna 172E accident near Apex, North Carolina, August 30, 2013
On August 30, 2013 at about 8:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172E, registered N3513S, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Apex, North Carolina (Deck Airpark 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 attain the proper touchdown point on the runway, which resulted in a runway overrun and subsequent aircraft noseover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 30, 2013 · about 8:45 pm local time · cases in 2013
- Place
- Apex, North Carolina · Deck Airpark · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172E · all 172Es on the register
- Registration
- N3513S · no longer on the register · serial 17250713
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Immediately after the accident, the pilot reported to the responding police officer that he landed “hot,” and “overshot” the 1,950-foot-long turf runway. The airplane overran the departure end of the runway, struck a ditch, nosed over, and came to rest inverted with substantial damage to the wings, empennage, and tail section of the airplane. Interpolation of the airplane manufacturer’s landing distance chart revealed that the required landing distance over a 50-foot obstacle was approximately 1,300 feet. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,520 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,297 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 2, 2013
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor 0-300 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2GC Fayetteville NC at 8:10 pm
- Destination: NC11 Apex NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04, 1,950 ft by 10 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 8:51 pm from RDU, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on September 25, 2013. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Police Report Narrative Excerpt | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector Interview Summary | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 1 - View of Airplane as Found (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
- N3513S: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk 20,686 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,677 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Cont Motor 0-300 SER 6,625 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Deck Airpark · nearest airport
- Grays Creek Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in North Carolina 1,762 since 1982 · 304 in the last ten years
- North Carolina 7,123 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA13CA393.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.