Cessna 172P accident near Fayetteville, Arkansas, November 22, 1998
On November 22, 1998 at about 8:10 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N54959, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fayetteville, Arkansas (Drake Field). 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 inadequate compensation for the wind conditions resulting in a loss of directional control. A factor was the shifting and gusty wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 22, 1998 · about 8:10 pm local time
- Place
- Fayetteville, Arkansas · Drake Field
- 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
- N54959 · no longer on the register · serial 17275091
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot lost control of the aircraft during landing flare while landing on runway 16. The pilot stated that the wind had 'shifted and gusted,' pushing the airplane to the left side of the runway just prior to touch down. He added that he did not have enough time to react prior to impacting a taxiway marker and taxiway light. The winds at the time of the accident were reported from 190 degrees at 16 knots.
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: 134 hours in all; 133 in this make and model; 61 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 63 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,224 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 15, 1998; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Robertson Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: RUS Tulsa OK at 7:15 pm
- Destination: FYV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 6,006 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from FYV
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 N54959 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.