Cessna 172 accident near Alma, Michigan, March 16, 1995
On March 16, 1995 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N65490, was substantially damaged in an accident near Alma, Michigan (Gratiot Community airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the flight instructor's inadequate remedial action during the approach to landing/landing roll. Related factors are the flight instructor's inadequate supervision, the dual student's wrong runway selection, the tailwind, and the dual student's failure to attain the proper touchdown point.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 16, 1995 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Alma, Michigan · Gratiot Community · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N65490 · no longer on the register · serial 17275763
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THE DUAL STUDENT WAS HANDLING THE CONTROLS FOR THE LANDING. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRPLANE VEERED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND NOSED DOWN. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR STATED HE WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DUE TO A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OF THE LEFT BRAKE. POSTACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF BRAKE MALFUNCTION. A WITNESS STATED THE AIRPLANE CAME IN HIGH AND FAST, WITH A GUSTING TAILWIND, AND TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT 1,000 FEET FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 892 hours in all; 247 in this make and model; 130 in the last 90 days; 54 in the last 30 days; 708 as pilot in command; 448 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,043 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, March 14, 1995; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PTK Pontiac MI at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.