Cessna 337D accident near Carthage, Mississippi, August 28, 1995
On August 28, 1995 at about 9:50 pm local time, a Cessna 337D, registered N85972, was substantially damaged in an accident near Carthage, Mississippi (Carthage-Leake County 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
FAILURE OF THE NORMAL BRAKE SYSTEM FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT'S SEATBACK.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 1995 · about 9:50 pm local time
- Place
- Carthage, Mississippi · Carthage-Leake County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 337D · all 337Ds on the register
- Registration
- N85972 · no longer on the register · serial 337-1041
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING THE LANDING ROLL, WHILE FORCIBLY APPLYING THE BRAKES WHICH WERE NONRESPONSIVE, THE SEAT BACK BROKE. HE PULLED HIMSELF UPRIGHT, AND RECOGNIZING THAT INSUFFICIENT RUNWAY REMAINED APPLIED FULL POWER TO GO AROUND. DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES PAST THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT REPORTED NO DISCREPANCIES OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM BEFORE DEPARTURE. NO DETERMINATION COULD BE MADE AS TO THE REASON FOR THE REPORTED BRAKE FAILURE.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 486 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 379 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,185 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 19, 1995; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,400 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-360-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 31M Union MS at 9:35 pm
- Destination: 08M
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 3,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 97°F (36°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 pm from JAN, 39 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.