Cessna 172 M accident near Griffin, Georgia, April 16, 2006
On April 16, 2006 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172 M, registered N9970V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Griffin, Georgia (Griffin-Spalding County Airpor 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to achieve the proper touchdown point, which resulted in an overrun of the runway, collision with an embankment, and subsequent nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 16, 2006 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Griffin, Georgia · Griffin-Spalding County Airpor · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 M · all 172 Ms on the register
- Registration
- N9970V · registry record · serial 17264588
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that after takeoff he stayed in the traffic pattern. He completed one go-around, and intended to make a full stop landing on the second approach. The pilot stated that he landed long, slammed on the brakes, skidded over an embankment and the airplane nosed over. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane prior to the accident. When the pilot was asked how could the accident have been prevented he replied " land on the first third of the runway".
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,072 hours in all; 1,042 in this make and model; 85 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: February 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,100 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 6A2 Griffin GA at 10:15 pm
- Destination: 6A2 Griffin GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 3,701 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 6:45 pm from KOPN, 16 miles away
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ATL06CA065.