- Date
- July 20, 1996, 17:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Emily, MN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N7101TCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 4, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960720019039A
- Case key
- 10319
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 misjudged his altitude and distance to the runway on final approach, and he failed to maintain obstacle clearance during landing. A factor relating to the accident was: the parked car.
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
During landing, the airplane's left main landing gear hit the roof of a stock car that had been parked on the access road to a grass airstrip. After impacting the car, the airplane landed hard, and the landing gear collapsed. The airplane skidded off the runway, and hit a tree. The pilot reported he saw automobiles parked on the grass airstrip and thought he had enough room to land. Also, he reported that the runway was lined with trees and that the airplane dropped 'quit quickly' when the airplane got below the tree line. The entire length of the 2,000' grass runway was available beyond where the automobiles were parked.
Factual narrative
On July 20, 1996, at 1700 central daylight time, a Cessna 172, N7101T, was destroyed. During landing, the airplane's left main landing gear hit the roof of a stock car that had been parked on an access road to a grass airstrip. After impacting the car, the airplane landed hard and the landing gear collapsed. The airplane skidded off the runway and hit a tree. The private pilot and one passenger reported no injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight had departed from Willmar, Minnesota, and was returning to a private airfield near Emily, Minnesota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.
The pilot reported that he saw the parked cars at the end of the 2,000 foot grass runway and thought he had enough room to land. He reported that the runway was lined with trees and that the airplane dropped "quit quickly" when the airplane got below the tree line.
An Airworthiness Inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration reported that the automobiles were parked on the airport access road. The entire 2,000 feet of grass runway was available beyond where the automobiles were parked.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7101T
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 46701
- Airframe hours
- 3,044
- Engine
- Continental O-300, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John E. Usherwood
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 16, 1996 · 38 hours before
- Departed
- ILL · Willmar, MN
- Airport
- Emily Airport, runway 9, 2,000 × 75 ft, grass/turf
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
- 73
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 128 total · 128 in this make and model · 128 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AIT, 30 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.