Cessna 172M accident near Enterprise, Alabama, August 9, 2002
On August 9, 2002 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N73461, was substantially damaged in an accident near Enterprise, Alabama (Enterprise Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's delayed flare on landing that resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 2002 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Enterprise, Alabama · Enterprise Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N73461 · registry record · serial 17267478
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated when he turned final for landing the VASI indicated that he was high. He slowed the airplane down, reacquired the VASI, and lowered the flaps to the full down position about 100 feet from the landing threshold. The airspeed indicated 60 knots and the airplane was about 30 feet high above the landing threshold with a high sink rate. He started his round out but his flare was late. The airplane collided with the runway, bounced about 6 feet into the air, pitched up, and to the left. He added power, the airplane collided with the runway hard, bounced, collided with the runway in a nose-down attitude on the nose gear and left main landing gear. Examination of the airplane after engine shutdown revealed the firewall was buckled.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 72 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 25 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,266 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2001; 91 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320_E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mc Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: MOB Mobile AL at 1:25 pm
- Destination: EDN Enterprise AL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 05, 5,100 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from OZR, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL02LA154.