Cessna 172P accident near Death Valley, California, February 26, 1999
On February 26, 1999 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N99269, was substantially damaged in an accident near Death Valley, California (Furnace Creek 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 use of an excessive approach reference speed and his misjudged distance/speed relationship to the runway, which resulted in a landing overrun. The pilot's failure to execute a timely go-around was also causal.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 26, 1999 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Death Valley, California · Furnace Creek · 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
- N99269 · no longer on the register · serial 17276426
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot overflew the runway to check the windsock and runway and saw what appeared to be an overrun area at the departure end of the runway. He reported that the landing flare was long and the aircraft seemed to float down the runway and was more than half way down the runway before initial touchdown. The pilot stated that lack of visual references and his belief that there was an overrun area led him to accept the excessive float during the landing. After touchdown he noted that there was not enough runway left to attempt a go-around. He applied brakes, but was unable to stop the aircraft before it struck plastic posts at the end of the runway and continued into an area of soft dirt, where the airplane nosed over. The pilot reported that the weather conditions were clear sky, calm winds, and an approximate temperature of 65 degrees Fahrenheit, and no mechanical anomalies were noted.
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: 394 hours in all; 382 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 294 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,429 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 13, 1999; 89 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: M & S Air Supply INC.
The flight
- Departed from: L09 Death Valley CA at 8:45 pm
- Destination: L06
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 3,065 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°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.
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.