Cessna 172P accident near Battle Ground, Washington, May 10, 2004
On May 10, 2004 at about 6:20 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N54477, was substantially damaged in an accident near Battle Ground, Washington (Goheen Airfield). It was an instructional 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 student pilot's misjudgment of distance and his failure to do a go-around. Also causal was the instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight. Factors include gusty crosswinds, the dual student's failure to adequately compensate for those winds, a wet runway surface, and a ditch off the departure end of the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 10, 2004 · about 6:20 pm local time
- Place
- Battle Ground, Washington · Goheen Airfield · 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
- N54477 · registry record · serial 74983
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The dual student, who holds a private pilot certificate for helicopters, was working towards a fixed-wing add-on to his certificate. As per the lesson profile, the student planned a dual cross country flight, but while en route, the instructor told the student to divert to another field. After arrival at the field, they over-flew the runway and determined that there was a direct crosswind at what they estimated was about 10 knots. The student then entered a left pattern for a full-stop landing on the damp turf runway. During his first two approaches, the student allowed the aircraft to get too high on final, and in both instances a go-around was initiated. On the third approach the aircraft remained on the proper final approach path until it was approximately 50 feet above the ground. At that point the aircraft encountered a wind gust, and it ballooned upward to an extent that the pilot was not able to descend to a position where he felt comfortable initiating the landing flare until the aircraft was almost halfway down the 2,600 foot runway. Then the aircraft "floated for awhile in ground effect" before touching down approximately two-thirds of the way down the runway. During this sequence of events, the student did not attempt to initiate a go-around on his own, and the instructor did not direct him to do one. After the aircraft touched down, the student applied the wheel brakes while holding the yoke full back for aerodynamic braking. Then the instructor came on the controls and assisted with the braking effort. Ultimately the pilots were unable to get the aircraft stopped before it went off the end of the runway, down a steep embankment, and into a ditch. Upon impacting the ditch, the nose wheel folded back and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The investigation did not find any evidence of problems with the aircraft's flight control or wheel braking systems.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 564 hours in all; 247 in this make and model; 161 in the last 90 days; 52 in the last 30 days; 489 as pilot in command; 260 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 28, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 124 hours in all; 19 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 47 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 26, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 13, 2004
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HIO Hillsboro OR at 5:40 pm
- Destination: W52 Battleground WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 2,600 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 7 knots, gusting 12
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.