Cessna 172S accident near Sidnaw, Michigan, June 6, 2003
On June 6, 2003 at about 6:41 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N975SP, was destroyed in an accident near Sidnaw, Michigan (Prickett Grooms Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The improper short/soft field landing procedure by the pilot and his lack of recent experience in type of operation. Contributing factors were the short/soft field runway, the trees and his delay in aborting the takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 6, 2003 · about 6:41 pm local time
- Place
- Sidnaw, Michigan · Prickett Grooms Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N975SP · registry record · serial 172S8197
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The rental airplane impacted trees during initial climb from an aborted landing on runway 28, which was a 2,000 foot long grass airstrip. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed with winds from the south reported by the closest weather reporting station. The passenger stated that the airplane touched down about half down the runway, went back up in the air, and touched down a second time before taking off again. The airplane then impacted trees west of the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The private pilot accumulated a total flight time of 141.2 hours over a period of about ten years, of which 5.5 hours were in the past 90 days and 2.3 hours were in the past 30 days from the accident date. According to the pilot's certified flight instructor, the pilot last received flight instruction on a grass airstrip during the pilot's student pilot training. He said that the pilot had very little experience on grass airstrips since receiving his private pilot certificate based upon what he could remember. The pilot's last airman medical certificate was expired at the time of the accident. A Federal Aviation Administration safety publication, which provides guidance to pilots in their planning of takeoffs and landings, states: always plan touchdown 200 feet inside of runway threshold, abort takeoff if not solidly "airborne" in first 1/2 of runway, and abort landing if not solidly "on" in first 1/3 of runway (first 1/4 if wet grass).
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 141 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 95 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 5, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,028 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 23, 2003; 1,009.6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MTW Manitowoc WI at 4:20 pm
- Destination: 6Y9 Sidnaw MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 2,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from CMX, 40 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 CHI03FA149.