Cessna 172M accident near St. George, Utah, May 12, 2007
On May 12, 2007 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N5285H, was substantially damaged in an accident near St. George, Utah (St George Muni 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 pilot's inadequate compensation for a gusting crosswind and his failure to maintain directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 12, 2007 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- St. George, Utah · St George Muni · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N5285H · registry record · serial 17265395
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane veered off of runway 16 and ground looped during the landing roll in strong crosswind conditions. The pilot stated in a written report that he checked the AWOS as he approached the airport and noted a direct crosswind of higher velocity than made him comfortable. He continued to circle north of the airport until he observed the winds drop to 19 knots. He decided to enter the pattern for runway 16 and perform a go-around to, "feel the winds." After a successful go-around, he elected to come around the pattern again and attempt a landing. The pilot said, "I set a little crab on final the second time around and executed a very smooth descent, flare and landing. Between five hundred feet and one thousand feet after touchdown, the airplane started to turn right, and I couldn't apply enough left rudder to stop it." The airplane departed the runway and the propeller struck a taxiway light and the left wing tip made contact with the ground. The airplane came to rest 30 feet beyond the runway edge. At 1555, the airport's AWOS reported winds of 250 degrees at 21 knots, gusting to 27 knots. The Pilot's Operating Handbook for a 1976 Cessna 172M states that, "The maximum allowable crosswind velocity is dependent on pilot capability as well as aircraft limitations. With average pilot technique, direct crosswinds of 15 knots can be handled with safety." The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
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: 128 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 1, 2007; 38 hours since
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: U77 Spanish Fork UT
- Destination: SGU St George UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 6,606 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 21 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 97°F (36°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 pm from SGU
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.