Cessna 172L accident near Pontiac, Michigan, March 17, 2013
On March 17, 2013 at about 8:18 pm local time, a Cessna 172L, registered N7282Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (to runway) near Pontiac, Michigan (Pontiac airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control after an unexplained increase in engine power while taxiing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 17, 2013 · about 8:18 pm local time · cases in 2013
- Place
- Pontiac, Michigan · Pontiac · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172L · all 172Ls on the register
- Registration
- N7282Q · no longer on the register · serial 17260582
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot said she was taxiing her single-engine airplane to the active runway when the engine suddenly went to full power. She did not recall any related engine instrument indications and tried to reduce power by moving the throttle control to its idle position, pulling the mixture control aft, and applying the brakes. During this time, the airplane veered off the taxiway, impacted a snow bank, and nosed over, coming to rest on its back, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. Examination of the engine found no mechanical anomalies that would explain the sudden increase in engine power. The pilot had 2,000 feet of taxiway remaining from where the airplane departed 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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during taxi (to runway) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during taxi (to runway)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 620 hours in all; 500 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PTK Pontiac MI
- Destination: PTK Pontiac MI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on April 29, 2013. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot and Passenger Written Statements | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector Written Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N7282Q: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk 20,693 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,678 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 1,070 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Oakland County International · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Michigan 2,107 since 1982 · 230 in the last ten years
- Michigan 7,236 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN13CA202.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.