Cessna 172 accident near Lowell, Michigan, June 11, 1996
On June 11, 1996, a Cessna 172, registered N1106F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lowell, Michigan (Lowell Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
was inadequate initial training of the pilot and inadequate flight test procedures by the FAA Designated Pilot Examiner when he reportedly had the pilot demonstrate 12 pilot operations from the FAA's practical flight test standards in 35 minutes during the pilot's private pilot flight test. A factor in this accident was the pilot's improper landing approach and go-around procedures.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 11, 1996
- Place
- Lowell, Michigan · Lowell Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N1106F · registry record · serial 17254701
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses reported the airplane made a landing approach with a quartering tailwind. The witnesses said the airplane hit the runway hard and bounced into the air two times. They reported the engine went to full power after the second bounce. The airplane had flown through five trees before colliding with the second story of a home. Shortly after getting the airplane's occupants out of the airplane, there was an explosion in the home. The pilot said he did a go-around as the airplane neared the runway's midpoint. He said he '...focusd on the trees in front of [him] and pulled significantly on [the] yoke trying to make the plane climb.' The pilot said he was not familiar with the terms 'back side of the power curve,' or 'region of reverse command.' The accident pilot's instructor was asked how he taught landings. He said the landing technique comes to the student through flying '...a whole bunch...' with the student. The accident pilot said his private pilot checkride lasted about 35 minutes. His logbook records confirm this. The FAA Designated Pilot Examiner's records showed 1.2 hours spent on a flight test.
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: 62 hours in all; 8 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 24C
- Destination: 24C
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 1,931 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:36 pm from GRR, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.
Other NTSB records under N1106F the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.