Cessna 172F accident near Fayetteville, North Carolina, April 6, 2021
On April 6, 2021 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 1965 Cessna 172F, registered N5424R, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Fayetteville, North Carolina (Grays Creek airport). It was a personal 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 pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and subsequent noseover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 6, 2021 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fayetteville, North Carolina · Grays Creek · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172F, built 1965 · all 172Fs on the register
- Registration
- N5424R · no longer on the register · serial 17252969
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing the airplane on a 3,500-ft-long runway and reported that the airplane was “long and fast” during the approach. The airplane floated down the runway before eventually touching down. Seeing that the end of the runway was approaching, the pilot applied the brakes. After the nose landing gear touched down, the airplane veered off the runway to the left. As it departed the runway surface, the propeller struck the ground and the airplane nosed over. The airplane’s fuselage, left wing, and vertical stabilizer were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of 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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,011 hours in all; 558 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 794 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 12, 2020
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,357 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 31, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300 (piston); 3,357 hours total
- Operator: Cape Fear Aviation Maintenance LLC
The flight
- Departed from: EYF Elizabethtown NJ at 7:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17/3, 3,500 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from FAY, 6 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KFAY 061953Z 29003KT 9SM CLR 28/02 A2995 RMK AO2 SLP137 T02830017=
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 October 7, 2021. 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 | Pilot's Post Accident Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation_pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Record of Conversation_faa | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo Array_accident Site and Airplane Damage | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.