Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 172 near Carefree, AZ — 2020-10-24

Final reportWPR21LA023
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Date
2020-10-24
Location
Carefree, AZ, USA
Airport
18AZ
Aircraft
CESSNA 172
Registration
N7029T
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack while landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

NTSB narrative

The private pilot reported that, while en route in the airplane, a “puff of smoke” originated from the instrument panel, so he decided to conduct a precautionary landing at a nearby airport. While on final approach to land, the airplane stalled and then impacted the ground hard just short of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

NTSB coding

View NTSB final report

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