Cessna 140 accident near Brooklyn, Michigan, May 13, 1996
On May 13, 1996 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Cessna 140, registered N89207, was substantially damaged in an accident near Brooklyn, Michigan (Shamrock Field). 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 pilot's improper use of brakes during the landing. Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot's improper flare and improper recovery from a bounced landing, and the soft runway condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 13, 1996 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Brooklyn, Michigan · Shamrock Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N89207 · no longer on the register · serial 8229
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was attempting to land on a sod runway when he made a hard landing and the airplane bounced. He then tried to recover the landing by making a three wheeled landing. The tail wheel hit first, followed by the main landing gear. The pilot applied brakes, and the airplane nosed over on the soft (sod) 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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 77 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 33 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 1, 1996; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3NP Napoleon MI at 9:00 pm
- Destination: 6G8
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 2,822 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:00 pm from LAN, 39 miles away
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.