- Date
- March 16, 1991, 16:10 local (21:10 UTC)
- Place
- Bridgman, MI
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N78195Cessna 172K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 25, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910316005539A
- Case key
- 15023
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to correct a descent. A factor in the accident was the pilot's maneuvering at an improper altitude.
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
A private pilot and two passengers were sightseeing along a lakeshore about 300 feet above the lake and 150 yards offshore. The front seat passenger was looking to the rear and talking to the other passenger when the pilot initiated a 360 degree turn away from the beach. The front seat passenger sensed a steep bank and a descent, and turned to look out the windshield. On seeing the nose below the horizon, the passenger pulled back on the yoke and applied power to break the descent. The airplane struck the lake during the pullup.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N78195
- Reported as
- Cessna 172K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17257522
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Charles F. Harrell & Partners
- Registered owner
- Charles F. Harrell & Partners
- Departed
- SBN · South Bend, IN
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
- 21
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 148 total · 98 in this make and model · 102 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SBN, 22 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.