Cessna 172M accident near Pikeville, North Carolina, December 9, 1999
On December 9, 1999 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N9234H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pikeville, North Carolina. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The inadequate supervision of the private-rated pilot by the certified flight instructor for allowing the airplane to impact terrain during a simulated forced landing procedure to an open field.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 9, 1999 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Pikeville, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N9234H · no longer on the register · serial 17266032
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The CFI was to check the private pilot in the airplane and before departure, the pilot was briefed to expect a simulated engine failure. After performing airwork, loss of engine power was simulated. The CFI reported the pilot picked an 'excellent' field but did not use flaps and overshot it. The CFI advised the pilot to perform a 180 degree turn to the left; the pilot executed the turn with the flaps extended then after recognizing that the pilot could land in the field, the CFI advised the pilot to go-around. The pilot stated that the CFI did not advise him to go-around and he applied power after descending too low to continue the simulation; the aircraft impacted terrain approximately 2 seconds after applying full power. The CFI stated the last thing he recalled was that the airplane was 50 feet agl, wings level. Examination of the accident site by FAA revealed that the airplane impacted the field first with the left wing tip, followed by the nose, right wing, then empennage. Examination of the flight controls revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. The engine was placed on a test stand, started, and found to operate normally.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,182 hours in all; 4,500 in this make and model; 15,037 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,366 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 22, 1999; 56 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GWW at 6:42 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from KGS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.