Cessna 172 accident near Chamblee, Georgia, July 11, 2004
On July 11, 2004 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N6555D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chamblee, Georgia (Dekalb Peachtree Airport). 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 pilot's improper landing flare that resulted in a hard landing. A factor was a tailwind condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 11, 2004 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Chamblee, Georgia · Dekalb Peachtree Airport · 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
- N6555D · no longer on the register · serial 17272863
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that while approaching the destination , he listened to the current weather information, which reported the winds to be from 330 degrees at 11 knots. He stated that during the landing on runway 20L, he may have "flared too high", resulting in a high sink rate and the airplane bounced on the runway three times. He stated he was able to taxi the airplane to the ramp for assistance, and during the post-flight inspection of the airplane, he noticed the damage to the airplane. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the right lower and left upper engine firewall were buckled and the right lower engine mount was separated from the firewall. The pilot and passenger floor panels were buckled and the right side of the fuselage, engine cowling, and bottom forward pilot compartment were buckled. The propeller was bent on both tips. Neither flight control yoke was able to travel forward, aft, left, or right.
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: student
- Flight time: 83 hours in all; 83 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,554 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 28, 2004; 66.1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,307 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KTOC Toccoa GA at 3:25 pm
- Destination: KPDK Chamblee GA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 20L, 6,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,300 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KPDK
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.
Other NTSB records under N6555D the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.