Cessna 172 accident near Emily, Minnesota, July 20, 1996
On July 20, 1996 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N7101T, was destroyed in an accident near Emily, Minnesota (Emily Airport). It was a personal 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 pilot misjudged his altitude and distance to the runway on final approach, and he failed to maintain obstacle clearance during landing. A factor relating to the accident was: the parked car.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 1996 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Emily, Minnesota · Emily Airport · 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
- N7101T · registry record · serial 46701
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During landing, the airplane's left main landing gear hit the roof of a stock car that had been parked on the access road to a grass airstrip. After impacting the car, the airplane landed hard, and the landing gear collapsed. The airplane skidded off the runway, and hit a tree. The pilot reported he saw automobiles parked on the grass airstrip and thought he had enough room to land. Also, he reported that the runway was lined with trees and that the airplane dropped 'quit quickly' when the airplane got below the tree line. The entire length of the 2,000' grass runway was available beyond where the automobiles were parked.
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: 128 hours in all; 128 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 128 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,044 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 16, 1996; 38 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ILL Willmar MN at 6:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 2,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 pm from AIT, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.