Cessna 172M N73182 accident near Griswold, Iowa

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during an attempted go-around, resulting in an aerodynamic stall.

NTSB analysis

The pilot and passenger departed from a 2,500-foot-long private airstrip; they then made two passes over the airstrip before returning to land the airplane. The pilot reported that his vision was affected by the setting sun, crop shadows, and a barn during the landing and that he landed long and fast. As the end of the airstrip approached, the pilot applied power for a go-around, but, according to the pilot, the engine did not produce power; the airplane became airborne, and the pilot turned left, but the airplane could not hold altitude. The airplane impacted a field just south of the airstrip. A witness reported that the engine maintained power throughout the accident sequence; additional witnesses reported that the airplane lost airspeed and stalled while in a turn. Examination of the propeller blades revealed signatures consistent with engine power being produced at the time of impact; examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preaccident malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The accident is consistent with inadequate airspeed followed by an aerodynamic stall.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN12LA408 for the full record.