Cessna 172 accident near Ypsilanti, Michigan, September 17, 1989
On September 17, 1989 at about 9:04 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N736HC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ypsilanti, Michigan (Willow Run airport). It was a personal 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 FAILURE OF THE PLT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE TAKEOFF GROUND ROLL. RAIN SOFTENED TERRAIN ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY SURFACE IS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 17, 1989 · about 9:04 pm local time
- Place
- Ypsilanti, Michigan · Willow Run · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N736HC · no longer on the register · serial R1722531
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY AND NOSED OVER IN RAIN SOFTENED SOD WHILE ATTEMPTING A TAKEOFF. THE PLT RELATED THAT IT WAS HIS IMPRESSION THAT HE DID NOT HAVE COMPLETE CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE DURING THE LATTER PORTION OF HIS TAKEOFF ROLL AND HE DECIDED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF BECAUSE HE COULD NOT MAINTAIN HIS DESIRED TRACK DOWN THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE THEN LEFT THE RUNWAY AND NOSED OVER. HE ALSO SAID THAT A POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED NO MECHANICAL DEFECTS IN THE AIRPLANE.
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: 298 hours in all; 123 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 242 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5R, 7,526 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 9:04 pm from YIP
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.