Cessna 172L accident near Romeo, Michigan, March 7, 2025
On March 7, 2025 at about 6:50 pm local time, a 1970 Cessna 172L, registered N7550G, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Romeo, Michigan (Romeo State 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 the landing roll. Contributing to the accident was the soft, wet grass.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 7, 2025 · about 6:50 pm local time
- Place
- Romeo, Michigan · Romeo State · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172L, built 1970 · all 172Ls on the register
- Registration
- N7550G · registry record · serial 17259250
- 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 the airplane touched down, with full flaps, about 75-80 miles per hour. About 100 ft after touching down, the airplane veered left into the wet grass and mud. The airplane subsequently nosed over and came to rest inverted, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings and the vertical stabilizer. The 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)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Wet/muddy terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 25.8 hours in all; 25.8 in this make and model; 20.3 in the last 90 days; 7.4 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 796.4 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 31, 2024; 96.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 4,579 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 36, 4,003 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 9 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from KPTK, 21 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KPTK 071853Z 27009G14KT 10SM BKN070 BKN095 OVC150 04/M08 A2979 RMK AO2 SLP098 T00391078
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – A left side view of the airplane
Photograph 2 – Right side view of the airplane
Photograph 3 – Airplane empennageThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on May 29, 2025. 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 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 4 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 3 | Email Correspondence | 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.