Cessna 172P accident near West Helena, Arkansas, March 16, 1992
On March 16, 1992 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N96493, was substantially damaged in an accident near West Helena, Arkansas (Helena/West Helena 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
PILOT'S IMPROPER FLAREA ND IMPROPER RECOVERY FROM A BOUNCED LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 16, 1992 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- West Helena, Arkansas · Helena/West Helena · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N96493 · registry record · serial 17276080
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE TURN FROM BASE TO FINAL THE PILOT OVERSHOT THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE. UPON CROSSING THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD THE AIRPLANE WAS TOO HIGH, HOWEVER, THE PILOT ALIGNED THE AIRPLANE WITH THE CENTERLINE AND REDUCED THE ENGINE POWER FOR THE LANDING FLARE. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE RUNWAY HARD AND BOUNCED TWO CONSECUTIVE TIMES. DURING THE SECOND BOUNCE, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST.
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: 78 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 35 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,922 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 6, 1992; 61 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sharp Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: JBR Jonesboro AR at 7:15 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 17, 5,000 ft by 96 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 11 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 N96493 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.