Cessna 172 accident near Ocean Springs, Mississippi, October 8, 2016
On October 8, 2016 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 1978 Cessna 172, registered N3379E, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Ocean Springs, Mississippi (Ocean Springs 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
The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control while landing in windy conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 8, 2016 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Ocean Springs, Mississippi · Ocean Springs · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 N, built 1978 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N3379E · no longer on the register · serial 17271525
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during landing the airplane "was pushed violently and unexpectedly to the right". She further reported that she immediately tried to correct with rudder, aileron and power inputs simultaneously. The airplane continued to drift farther to the right of the centerline and contacted several trees along the edge of the airport before the airplane landed nose first onto the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no pre impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the wind at the accident airport was 020 degrees true and 12 nautical miles per hours (knots), and that she was landing on runway 36. The nearest weather reporting station, 9 miles to the northwest, reported wind 360 degrees true and 15 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
What happened, in order
- Other weather encounter during landing
- Loss of control in flight during landing defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › (general) › Ability to respond/compensate
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › (general) › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 83 in this make and model
- Last flight review: October 8, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,293.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 9, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 H2AD (piston); 5,355 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MBT Murfreesboro TN at 2:45 pm
- Destination: 5R2 Ocean Springs MS
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 36, 3,500 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 5:58 pm from KBIX, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on November 14, 2016. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | 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.