Cessna 195 accident near Chapel Hill, North Carolina, February 26, 1998
On February 26, 1998 at about 1:04 am local time, a Cessna 195, registered N4356V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chapel Hill, North Carolina (Horace Williams airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to maintain directional control of the aircraft during a go-around, followed by his failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering to avoid trees, which resulted in a stall and collision with the terrain. The pilot's lack of recent night experience was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 26, 1998 · about 1:04 am local time
- Place
- Chapel Hill, North Carolina · Horace Williams · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 195 · all 195s on the register
- Registration
- N4356V · no longer on the register · serial 7317
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During landing, the aircraft bounced. When the aircraft touched down again, the pilot noticed it had turned to the left of runway heading about 30 degrees and was drifting toward the left side of the runway. He initiated a go-around. As the aircraft lifted off, the pilot lost sight of the runway lights. He then noticed the aircraft had drifted to the right and was approaching trees. He turned back to the left, the left wing dropped, and the aircraft descended and crashed to the ground. Postcrash examination of the aircraft revealed no evidence of precrash failure or malfunction of the aircraft structure, flight controls, engine, or propeller. The runway lights were found to operate normally after the accident. The pilot did not have a current FAA medical certificate for it had been denied. The pilot did not meet FAA night recency of experience requirements.
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: 213 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 33 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 152 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,189 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 7, 1997; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs R-755-9 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IOB Mount Sterling KY at 11:50 pm
- Destination: IGX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 4,005 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 320° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.