- Date
- November 16, 1991, 19:30 local (Nov 17, 1991, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Howell, MI
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N73475Cessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report December 14, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911117051989A
- Case key
- 15348
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
Proper glidepath was not maintained resulting in an undershoot. A factor related to the accident was dark night flying conditions.
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 pilot said that during final approach, at night, everything appeared to be normal until the right wing struck tree branches. The aircraft then descended uncontrolled, striking the terrain short of the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N73475
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17267491
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Free Spirit Aviation
- Departed
- LDM · Ludington, MI
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 3HE · Livingston County, runway 31, 4,300 × 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
- 36
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 210 total · 33 in this make and model · 109 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 70° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 14 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- FNT, 25 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.