- Date
- July 25, 1982, 21:15 local (Jul 26, 1982, 01:15 UTC)
- Place
- Niles, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2902NCessna 120
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report July 25, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820725031469A
- Case key
- 72015
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The student was on his second solo flight in evening hours. Reportedly, after he had completed 4 landings, dusk was approaching and the instructor told him to make only 2 more landings. When the student was about ready to takeoff on his 6th pattern, a king air called on a straight-in approach. By the time the king air landed and the student took off, it was dusk and darkness was approaching. During the last landing, the aircraft bounced, and on the second touchdown, it veered off the left side of the runway, went into the grass, then nosed over. The instructor, who was monitoring the flight, believed that the approaching darkness contributed to the mishap.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2902N
- Reported as
- Cessna 120
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-3168
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A1A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Scott Riggenbach
- Registered owner
- Scott Riggenbach
- Departed
- 3TR · Niles, MI
- Destination
- 3TR · Niles, MI
- Airport
- 3TR · Jerry Tyler Memorial, runway 21, 3,300 × 75 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 26 total · 26 in this make and model · 11 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 250° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Temperature
- 174 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N2902N · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.