Cessna 172I accident near Olivet, Michigan, August 28, 2022
On August 28, 2022 at about 5:45 pm local time, a 1968 Cessna 172I, registered N46202, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Olivet, Michigan (Private 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 attain/maintain a proper glidepath that resulted in a hard landing and impact with the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 2022 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Olivet, Michigan · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172I, built 1968 · all 172Is on the register
- Registration
- N46202 · no longer on the register · serial 17257104
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was on a visual final for a low approach when he applied engine power to stabilize the descent. The engine did not respond, and the airplane continued to descend and landed hard on the runway. The airplane then nosed over and sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the left and right wing fuel tanks contained useable fuel. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The student pilot stated that the engine did not respond, but it is likely that the student pilot delayed the application of engine power and when he applied engine power, it exceeded the response capability of the airplane/engine that he perceived as delayed. The student pilot also reported that he’d applied carburetor heat for about 10 seconds when he was about one mile from the runway. There was no engine roughness during the application. He then turned it off. An accident report form was not received from the student pilot. Weather conditions were conducive for serious carburetor icing at glide power.
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
- Attempted remediation/recovery during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 100.8 hours in all; 21.4 in this make and model; 5.2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,308.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 3,308 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 1,900 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 7 knots, gusting 11
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 2,900 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 1:35 pm from FPK, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
9 documents, released by the NTSB on December 20, 2023. 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 Request to Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum of Record | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum of Record Dec 7 2023 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Wreckage Diagram by FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Aircraft Examination Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Aircraft Logbook Entries of Last Annual Inspections | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Pilot Logbook | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Carburetor Icing Probability Chart | PDF, 1 page | 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.