Cessna 172N accident near Covington, Washington, May 27, 1999
On May 27, 1999 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N5120D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Covington, Washington (Crest Airpark airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's inadequate recovery from a bounced landing, and his subsequent improper execution of the go-around procedure, resulting in collision with trees off the departure end of the runway. Factors included the student pilot's lack of total experience, and trees off the departure end.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 27, 1999 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Covington, Washington · Crest Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N5120D · no longer on the register · serial 17272427
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo student pilot, who reported his total time as 70 hours (including about 40 hours in make and model) reported he dropped in and bounced his landing, and was unable to get the airplane back onto the 3,002-foot-long runway by the halfway point. He then attempted a go-around, but failed to clear trees off the departure end of the runway. The student pilot reported no mechanical malfunction or failure was involved. An FAA inspector who examined the airplane after the accident found the airplane's flaps extended about 30 to 32 degrees; the balked landing procedure for the aircraft specifies that flaps be set to 20 degrees immediately upon initiation of a balked landing, then set to 10 degrees until obstacles are cleared.
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: student
- Flight time: 70 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 70 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,241 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 24, 1999; 9 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: S36 Covington WA at 10:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 3,002 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.