Cessna 172P accident near Las Vegas, Nevada, May 22, 2010
On May 22, 2010 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N529MC, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (from runway) near Las Vegas, Nevada (Henderson airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions and failure to maintain directional control during taxi.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 2010 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Las Vegas, Nevada · Henderson · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N529MC · registry record · serial 17274639
- 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 he made a normal landing on runway 17L. The pilot was instructed to cross runway 17R without delay. As he was taxiing, the airplane began to weather vane left into the wind. The pilot tried to correct back to the taxiway with the right rudder but the airplane continued to the left and hit a taxiway light. As the pilot continued to maneuver to the left, the airplane went into a ditch and the tail struck an airport sign.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during taxi (from runway) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during taxi (from runway)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › (general) › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 110 hours in all; 110 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 44 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 14, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,982 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 19, 2010; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KSNA Santa Ana CA at 5:30 pm
- Destination: KHND Henderson NV
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 17L, 5,001 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 21 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.70 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from KHND
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.