Cessna 172R accident near Othello, Washington, April 8, 2011
On April 8, 2011 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172R, registered N423ES, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Othello, Washington (Othello Municipal 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 failure to maintain directional during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 8, 2011 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Othello, Washington · Othello Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172R · all 172Rs on the register
- Registration
- N423ES · registry record · serial 17280258
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Prior to the flight, the pilot obtained a weather briefing. He preflighted the airplane and flew to a nearby airport to practice landings. He said while on final approach, he noticed the windsock start to whip, and he used ailerons to stop the airplane's southerly drift. He said the airplane bounced around as he approached touchdown. Immediately after touchdown, the airplane veered left (south) off the asphalt and into a freshly plowed field. The airplane's nose wheel dug into the soft soil and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane's right wing lift strut was bent, both wings were wrinkled, the aft empennage was bent and wrinkled on the bottom, and the vertical stabilizer was bent.
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 landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Variable wind › Response/compensation
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Response/compensation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 150 hours in all; 17 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: January 25, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 809 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 21, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Kennewick Aircraft Services Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: RLD Richland WA at 11:30 pm
- Destination: S70 Othello WA
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 25, 3,564 ft by 45 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 11:00 pm from RLD, 30 miles away
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.