- Date
- August 15, 1998, 15:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Traverse City, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6172DCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 19, 1999
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980815029899A
- Case key
- 43799
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 inadvertent stall/mush. Factors contributing to this accident were the pilot's improper compensation for the wind conditions, and his excessively high flare.
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 he performed a normal traffic pattern to a touch and go. During the landing flare, the airplane's right wing and nose rose abruptly. The pilot said that he maintained back pressure to hold the proper attitude. The airplane's nose 'dipped and encountered [the] runway surface.' The pilot said that he performed a go-around and flew another traffic pattern to a full-stop landing. Examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies.
Factual narrative
On August 15, 1998, at 1500 eastern daylight time (edt), a Cessna 172N, N6172D, operated by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage when during landing, the airplane touched down hard on runway 36, at Cherry Capital Airport, Traverse City, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. No flight plan was on file. The pilot and passenger on board reported no injuries. The local flight originated at Traverse City, Michigan, at 1415 edt.
In his written statement, the pilot said that he performed a normal traffic pattern to a touch and go. During the landing flare, the airplane's right wing and nose rose abruptly. The pilot said that he maintained back pressure to hold the proper attitude. The airplane's nose "dipped and encountered [the] runway surface." The pilot said that he performed a go-around and flew another traffic pattern to a full-stop landing.
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the airplane at the Cherry Capital Airport. The tips of both propeller blades were bent aft. The engine firewall was buckled at the four attachment points for the nose gear. Flight control continuity was confirmed. No anomalies were found with the engine, engine controls or other airplane systems.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6172D
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17272617
- Airframe hours
- 4,511
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Arthur R. Schubert
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 29, 1998 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- TVC
- Airport
- TVC · Cherry Capital Airport, runway 36, 5,108 × 150 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
- 66
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,011 total · 12 in this make and model · 5 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TVC, 1 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.