Cessna 172R accident near Waterford, Michigan, July 13, 2006
On July 13, 2006 at about 3:06 pm local time, a Cessna 172R, registered N918TA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Waterford, 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 directional control not obtained/maintained, the inadequate compensation for wind conditions, and the go-around not performed during landing by the pilot. An additional cause was the lack of experience by the pilot. A contributing factor was the crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 13, 2006 · about 3:06 pm local time
- Place
- Waterford, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172R · all 172Rs on the register
- Registration
- N918TA · registry record · serial 17281121
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was operated as an instructional flight when it veered off the runway during landing and nosed over in a grass area adjacent to the runway. The airplane was piloted by a student pilot during a student solo flight. The student pilot and his certified flight instructor performed several landings on runway 27L before the student pilot departed on the solo flight. The student pilot departed from runway 27R and performed a go-around on his first landing attempt on runway 27R; reportedly because, he could not "get the plane on centerline" and the presence of a "slight" crosswind. The student pilot completed the go-around and attempted again to land on runway 27R. During the level off, the student pilot stated that he held left aileron control into the wind and noted that the nose was yawed to the left. The airplane touched down with a "crab," veered off the runway, and nosed over.
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
- Flight time: 34 hours in all; 34 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Tradewinds Aviation Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: PTK Waterford MI
- Destination: PTK Waterford MI
- 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 |
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.