Cessna 172S accident near Port Huron, Michigan, May 21, 2005
On May 21, 2005 at about 3:35 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N860SA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Port Huron, Michigan. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot not performing a go-around and misjudging the flare leading to a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 21, 2005 · about 3:35 pm local time
- Place
- Port Huron, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N860SA · registry record · serial 172S8860
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane piloted by a student pilot, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing on a runway 28. The pilot stated, "Upon turning base leg I determined that I was high and reduced power to idle. I maintained an airspeed of 65 [knots] and judged that I would touch down at the runway midpoint. At the midpoint I had not touched down and was still 30 to 50 [feet] above the runway. Instead of going around I attempted to land. In the process I rotated [too] soon and [too] much. This resulted in landing at a higher speed. I landed hard and bounced up. I maintained direction accurately and stopped the aircraft within the confines of the runway." Recorded wind at the airport was 310 degrees at 5 knots. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane in reference to the flight.
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
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 70 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,581 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 1, 2005; 41 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: BAX Bad Axe MI at 2:45 pm
- Destination: PHN Port Huron MI
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 3:35 pm from PHN
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.
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.