Cessna 172P accident near Fowlerville, Michigan, June 28, 1997
On June 28, 1997 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N55121, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fowlerville, Michigan (Maple Grove airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to either attain proper touchdown point for landing or go around while he had sufficient airspeed and runway remaining.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 28, 1997 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Fowlerville, Michigan · Maple Grove · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N55121 · registry record · serial 17275114
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that this was the first time he had flown the airplane with three passengers. He said that he allowed the airplane to land about 700' from the departure end of the 3,040' runway. Also, he indicated that the brakes would not stop the airplane on the remaining runway. The airplane overran the end of the runway and went into a crop field.
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: 96 hours in all; 96 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 22 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,630 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, June 23, 1997; 16 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: OZW Howell MI at 4:30 pm
- Destination: 65G
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,040 ft by 110 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.