Cessna 172G accident near Greenville, Michigan, September 7, 2003
On September 7, 2003 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172G, registered N3811L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Greenville, Michigan (Greenville Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate takeoff procedure with the use of 20 degrees of flaps. Contributing factors were the interrelated effects of high aircraft weight, the density altitude, and the relative humidity. An additional factor was the trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 7, 2003 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Greenville, Michigan · Greenville Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172G · all 172Gs on the register
- Registration
- N3811L · no longer on the register · serial 17253980
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain during initial climb from a 4,200 foot long hard surfaced runway. The pilot reported the airplane had full fuel and 3 passengers. The pilot stated that for the takeoff he selected 20 degrees of flaps, rotated the airplane about 60 miles per hour, and kept the airplane in ground effect to gain airspeed. He stated that during the climb the wings started to stall. The pilot lowered the nose to regain airspeed, but impacted 70 foot high trees at the departure end of the runway. The airplane flight manual recommends no flaps for normal and obstacle clearnace takeoffs and flaps 10 degrees to shorten ground run. It does not recommend flaps settings of 30-40 degrees. Based upon the airport's weather observation temperature data, the density altitude was 2,332 feet mean sea level with a relative humidity of 51 percent.
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: 170 hours in all; 19 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 170 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 21, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,700 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 6D6 Greenville MI at 10:00 pm
- Destination: 6D6
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 10, 4,200 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 pm from GRR, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.