Cessna 172A accident near Springfield, Missouri, March 21, 2004
On March 21, 2004 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172A, registered N7265T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Springfield, Missouri. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot failed to initiate a go-around and the airplane porpoised during the hard landing. Factors associated with the accident were the excessive groundspeed and the overload failure of the nose gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 21, 2004 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Springfield, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172A · all 172As on the register
- Registration
- N7265T · registry record · serial 46865
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane experienced a nose gear collapse following a loss of control while landing on a grass airstrip. The pilot stated that as he cleared the trees at the approach end of the runway he noted his airspeed was indicating 60 miles per hour, but his ground speed seemed fast. He stated that upon touchdown, the airplane bounced and porpoised contacting the grass airstrip on the nose gear. The pilot reported the nose gear collapsed and the nose of the airplane dug into the grass. The pilot stated he should have performed a go around when he noticed the fast ground speed.
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: 372 hours in all; 198 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MO2 Springfield MO at 7:00 pm
- Destination: MO2 Springfield MO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 CHI04CA088.