Cessna 172 accident near Clare, Michigan, January 29, 2021
On January 29, 2021 at about 9:25 pm local time, a 1974 Cessna 172, registered N22101, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Clare, Michigan (Clare Municipal 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 failure to maintain directional control during landing that resulted in a runway excursion and impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 29, 2021 · about 9:25 pm local time
- Place
- Clare, Michigan · Clare Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 M, built 1974 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N22101 · registry record · serial 17264055
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that while landing following a solo cross-country flight, the airplane touched down about 500 feet beyond the runway threshold and slightly left of the runway centerline. As he continued the landing rollout, the airplane “drifted” left, and the left main landing gear caught the runway edge. The airplane then veered left off the runway, nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, rudder, left wing, left wing strut, and fuselage. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 85 hours in all; 85 in this make and model; 68 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 6, 2020; 2,871 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Slipstream Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: SLH Cheboygan MI at 7:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 3,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.35 inHg
- Observation at 4:10 pm from MOP, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on August 31, 2021. 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/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 - Student Pilot | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 - Flight Instructor | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photo Log | 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.
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.