Cessna 172P accident near Lambertville, Michigan, January 5, 1999
On January 5, 1999 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N53637, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lambertville, Michigan (Toledo Suburban 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 pilot-in-command's loss of directional control during landing roll. Factors to the accident were the icy terrain condition, crosswind, and the snow bank.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 5, 1999 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lambertville, Michigan · Toledo Suburban · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N53637 · no longer on the register · serial 172-74795
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
In the pilot-in-command's written statement, the pilot indicated that the dual student was in control of the aircraft during the landing approach, flare and touchdown. The flight instructor stated that, 'Upon touching down at normal speed on the ice-patched 50 foot wide runway, the aircraft drifted right of centerline with a contribution from a left crosswind.' The flight instructor stated that he was unable to correct for the drift using aileron, rudder, and brakes, and the aircraft slid into the three foot high snow bank along the edge of the runway. During a post accident investigation, a functional test of the brake system showed no anomalies.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,043 hours in all; 133 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 1,955 as pilot in command; 1,540 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,164 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 19, 1998; 64 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: 5G9 at 8:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 5,013 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 1°F (-17°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:51 pm from TOL, 1 miles away
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.