Cessna 172P accident near Kenosha, Wisconsin, May 8, 2007
On May 8, 2007 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N97464, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kenosha, Wisconsin (Kenosha Regional airport). 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's improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a flat nose wheel tire and a buckled firewall. A factor was the porpoising that was encountered during the flare.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 8, 2007 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Kenosha, Wisconsin · Kenosha Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N97464 · no longer on the register · serial 17276193
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was substantially damaged during a bounced landing. The pilot stated that when he was on final, he noticed he was too high so he began to slip the airplane. As he started his flare, he noticed he was still too high and decided to reduce the power to idle. The airplane bounced, became airborne, and bounced again. He kept the flare going and touched down again, finally staying on the ground. He taxied the airplane to the ramp for parking, shut down the airplane, and discovered the nose wheel tire was flat.
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: 114 hours in all; 106 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 43 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 20,639 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2007
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JVL Janesville WI at 4:45 pm
- Destination: ENW Kenosha WI
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 24L, 3,300 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from KENW
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.