Cessna 172R accident near Battle Creek, Michigan, April 18, 2000
On April 18, 2000 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172R, registered N975BC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Battle Creek, Michigan (Kellogg 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the student pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing. Factors associated with the accident were the misjudged landing flare, the student's lack of total experience, the runway lights, and the runway signs.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 18, 2000 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Battle Creek, Michigan · Kellogg · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172R · all 172Rs on the register
- Registration
- N975BC · registry record · serial 17280046
- 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 he flared the airplane 20 to 30 feet above the runway and the airplane bounced. The airplane veered off the left side of the runway in a nose high attitude. The student reported he added power to abort the landing and the elevator struck runway lights and the runway signs. He stated he was able to get the airplane back on the runway centerline and the go around was aborted. He reported the winds were calm at the time of the accident.
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: student
- Flight time: 21 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 5 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,780 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, March 13, 2000; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BTL at 5:05 pm
- Destination: BTL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 10,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from BTL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N975BC the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI00LA115.