Cessna 172S accident near Marietta, Oklahoma, August 4, 2002
On August 4, 2002 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N431ME, was substantially damaged in an accident near Marietta, Oklahoma (Mcgehee Catfish Restaurant Apt airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 4, 2002 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Marietta, Oklahoma · Mcgehee Catfish Restaurant Apt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N431ME · no longer on the register · serial 172S8431
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot reported in his initial statement that the airplane rotated about one-third of the way down the runway. In a subsequent statement he said rotation was delayed until near the end of the runway. After initial takeoff climb, the pilot said the autopilot unexpectedly engaged causing the airplane to enter a climbing turn to the right. After manually overpowering the autopilot, the aircraft stalled and rotated to the left before impacting tree tops and coming to rest in a wings level, nose low attitude. The pilot said that he did not respond to the situation immediately, as he was stunned by what was happening. He also said he didn't observe the autopilot light, and didn't think to disengage the autopilot. The right seat passenger, a commercially rated pilot, said he was certain the aircraft was airborne shortly after crossing a road which bisects the runway approximately one-third of the way down the airstrip. The passenger reported hearing the stall warning sound intermittently for 3 to 4 seconds, stop for 2 to 3 seconds, and then begin sounding continuously. At this point the passenger observed a definitive nose up attitude as he watched the airspeed decrease and the aural stall warning continue for about 8 to 10 seconds before the right wing dropped. He then observed the pilot pull back on the control yoke. The aircraft then drifted to the left before the left wing began impacting trees. The passenger also said he wasn't sure if the pilot had inadvertently engaged the autopilot after takeoff. Post-accident examination of the autopilot system components by an FAA inspector and the autopilot manufacturer did not disclose any evidence of malfunctions or abnormal autopilot 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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,099 hours in all; 1,017 in this make and model; 49 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 1,099 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 12, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,319 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 12, 2002; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO 360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: T40 Marietta OK at 7:15 pm
- Destination: 84OL Broken Arrow OK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 2,450 ft by 55 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 |
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.