Cessna 172N accident near Merced, California, September 17, 1999
On September 17, 1999 at about 9:35 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N2339E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Merced, California (Castle 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 premature retraction of the flaps during an attempted go-around with insufficient airspeed, which led to an inadvertent stall/mush condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 17, 1999 · about 9:35 pm local time
- Place
- Merced, California · Castle · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N2339E · no longer on the register · serial 17271242
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The purpose of the flight was to do a touch-and-go at the accident airport and return to home base. No discrepancies were noted with the flight while en route to the accident airport. On final approach the pilot noted that the windsock was indicating a crosswind, and approximately 30 feet agl he felt a strong left-quartering headwind. After he corrected for the crosswind, a gust of wind pushed the left wing up and the airplane veered off of the runway. He attempted to land, and when he saw that he would not be able to land on the runway, he applied full throttle and pushed the carburetor heat in to attempt a go-around. The pilot felt the airplane about to stall and he retracted all of the flaps. He stated that there was not enough lift and the airplane impacted the ground from about 50 feet agl. No mechanical malfunctions were noted with the airplane or engine. The airport manager said that the winds at the time of the accident were from the northwest at 5 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: 61 hours in all; 61 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,515 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 15, 1999; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MOD Modesto CA at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 11,802 ft by 300 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from MOD, 23 miles away
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.