Cessna 172K accident near Fisher, Arkansas, August 26, 1991
On August 26, 1991 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172K, registered N7043G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fisher, Arkansas. 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 USE THE AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE DATA TO COMPUTE THE TAKEOFF DISTANCE. A FACTOR WAS THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 26, 1991 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fisher, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172K · all 172Ks on the register
- Registration
- N7043G · no longer on the register · serial 17258743
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A 365 HOUR PRIVATE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO TAKEOFF FROM A 2,100 FOOT STRIP, UNDER A LIGHT WIND CONDITION AND A DENSITY ALTITUDE OF 2400 FEET. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD MADE SEVERAL FLIGHTS FROM THE SAME STRIP, UNDER SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE ROTATED THE AIRPLANE ABOUT THE SAME POINT THAT HE USUALLY ROTATED, AND THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE BUT FAILED TO CLIMB OUT OF GROUND EFFECT. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A LEVEE AT THE DEPARTURE END OF THE STRIP AND FLIPPED UPSIDE DOWN. THE PILOT DID NOT CONSULT THE AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE DATA TO COMPUTE THE TAKEOFF DISTANCE. TAKEOFF DISTANCE TO CLEAR AN OBSTACLE WAS 2,311 FEET.
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
- Flight time: 365 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 345 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,100 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,500 ft; scat at 900 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:51 pm from JBR, 24 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N7043G the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.