Cessna 152 accident near Ann Arbor, Michigan, January 20, 2001
On January 20, 2001 at about 2:45 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N714UA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ann Arbor, Michigan (Ann Arbor Municipal 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 CFI's delay in iniating remedial action to arrest the sink rate which developed on final approach. Factors associated with the accident were the student pilot failed to maintain a proper glidepath on final approach and the snow bank which the airplane contacted.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 20, 2001 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Ann Arbor, Michigan · Ann Arbor Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N714UA · no longer on the register · serial 15279433
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane undershot the runway and contacted a snow bank during the landing. The CFI reported the airplane was getting low during the landing approach, however, the student added power to correct. The student then pulled the power to idle on short final and the airplane began to sink. The CFI reported he thought they were going to make it to the runway and that he was unable to react quick enough once he realized that they were not going to make it. The airplane touched down in the snow approximately 10 feet prior to the approach end of the runway. The airplane then contacted a snow bank that was between the runway end lights and the surface of the runway. The nose and right main gears collapsed and the airplane slid 200 feet down the runway prior to coming to rest.
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: 1,078 hours in all; 577 in this make and model; 140 in the last 90 days; 47 in the last 30 days; 987 as pilot in command; 597 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 19 hours in all; 19 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 0 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,144.6 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 21, 2000; 53 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,675 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Avco Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ARB Ann Arbor MI at 2:30 pm
- Destination: ARB Ann Arbor MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 06, 3,500 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from ARB
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.