Cessna 172 accident near Kennesaw, Georgia, June 19, 2004
On June 19, 2004 at about 3:39 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N52846, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kennesaw, Georgia (Cobb County Mccullom Field). It was an instructional 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing roll that resulted in the on ground collision with the ground, and the subsequent collapse of the nose gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 19, 2004 · about 3:39 pm local time
- Place
- Kennesaw, Georgia · Cobb County Mccullom Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N52846 · no longer on the register · serial 17274621
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot completed four touch and go landings with the instructor on board, before his solo flight. The student completed three solo touch and go landings. On the fourth solo landing, the airplane bounced on the runway and the student pilot lost directional control of the airplane. The airplane veered off the right side of runway 27 into the grass and collapsed the nose gear assembly.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 38 hours in all; 38 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,258.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 9, 2004; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-025 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Superior Flight School Inc
The flight
- Departed from: RYY Kennisaw GA at 3:00 pm
- Destination: RYY Kennisaw GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 5,105 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 2:45 pm from RYY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.