Cessna 172P N97757 accident near Cedar Key, Florida

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to attain the proper touchdown point, which resulted in a runway excursion.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that the airplane was too high during his first approach to the 2,355-foot-long asphalt runway, so he performed a go-around. During his second approach, the airplane touched down normally; however, the pilot was not able to stop the airplane before the end of the runway. The airplane veered off the left side of the runway about 100 feet before the end and came to rest, nose down, in a marshy area. The airplane sustained substantial damage to its nose gear and firewall. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the tire marks on the runway, which were continuous and began about 600 feet before the departure end of the runway and then veered off the left side of the runway, it is likely that the pilot landed long on the relatively short runway and was unable to stop the airplane on the remaining pavement.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA13CA016 for the full record.