Cessna 172R accident near Waterford, Michigan, February 21, 2000
On February 21, 2000 at about 6:14 pm local time, a Cessna 172R, registered N922TA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Waterford, Michigan (Pontiac Oakland airport). It was an instructional 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 directional control not obtained/maintained by the dual student and the remedial action not performed by the certified flight instructor. Contributing factors were the crosswind and the snow bank.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 21, 2000 · about 6:14 pm local time
- Place
- Waterford, Michigan · Pontiac Oakland · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172R · all 172Rs on the register
- Registration
- N922TA · registry record · serial 17280249
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane veered off the runway and impacted a snow bank during an instructional flight. A crosswind was present during the landing. Examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 362 hours in all; 94 in this make and model; 51 in the last 90 days; 32 in the last 30 days; 262 as pilot in command; 21 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,012 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 8, 1999; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,457 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-F1A6 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Tradewinds Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: PTK Waterford MI at 5:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27R, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from PTK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.