Cessna 172 accident near Traverse City, Michigan, June 15, 2010
On June 15, 2010 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N52519, was substantially damaged in an accident near Traverse City, Michigan (Cherry Capital Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). The NTSB record does not give the injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Damage to the firewall for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 15, 2010 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Traverse City, Michigan · Cherry Capital Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 S · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N52519 · registry record · serial 10903
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a scheduled 50/100 hour inspection by the operator, the engine firewall was discovered to be bent and wrinkled when the engine cowl was removed. Following the discovery, the operator performed a hard landing inspection of the airplane. The operator stated that a hard landing was not reported by any of its students or flight instructors.
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
What happened, in order
- Unknown or undetermined during unknown defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Flight time: 0 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Unknown
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 450 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 27, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Traverse City MI
- Destination: Unknown MI
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.