Cessna 172N accident near North Las Vegas, Nevada, September 3, 2000
On September 3, 2000 at about 2:28 am local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N739HA, was substantially damaged in an accident near North Las Vegas, Nevada (North Las Vegas airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilot-in-command to maintain proper airspeed during the aborted landing go-around which resulted in a stall/mush and impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 3, 2000 · about 2:28 am local time
- Place
- North Las Vegas, Nevada · North Las Vegas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N739HA · no longer on the register · serial 17270545
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On final approach for landing, the wind blew the aircraft off of runway centerline alignment and the pilot initiated a go-around from 20 - 25 feet agl. After initiating the go-around, the wind blew the aircraft further to the side, and the aircraft kept descending until it contacted the ground in the dirt off the runway. The nose wheel dug into the dirt and the aircraft came to rest about 100 yards off the runway about midfield. The pilot reported he had stalled the aircraft during the attempted go-around and there were no mechanical malfunctions with the aircraft. A special weather observation taken at the time of the accident reported a 70-degree crosswind at 10 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: 110 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 32 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,301 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 10, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VGT NV at 1:00 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 5,005 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 183°F (84°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:28 am from VGT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.