No fatalities

29 Jan 2023: CESSNA 172L — N/A — Cleveland, TX

Cleveland, TX, United States

On 29 Jan 2023, a CESSNA 172L operated by N/A was involved in an aviation accident near Cleveland, TX. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s decision to attempt the night flight under visual flight rules when instrument meteorological conditions prevailed resulting in the airplane striking trees while on final approach. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 17 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

Probable cause

The pilot’s decision to attempt the night flight under visual flight rules when instrument meteorological conditions prevailed resulting in the airplane striking trees while on final approach. Contributing to the accident were the unserviceable runway lights at the destination airport.

— NTSB Determination

Contributing factors

PilotDescent/approach/glide path — Not attained/maintainedContributed to outcome