Cessna 172R accident near Battle Creek, Michigan, March 10, 1999
On March 10, 1999 at about 6:11 pm local time, a Cessna 172R, registered N983AV, was substantially damaged in an accident near Battle Creek, Michigan (W K Kellogg Airport). It was an instructional 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 flare and failure to maintain directional control. Related factors were the snowbank and lack of total experience.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 10, 1999 · about 6:11 pm local time
- Place
- Battle Creek, Michigan · W K Kellogg Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172R · all 172Rs on the register
- Registration
- N983AV · no longer on the register · serial 17280575
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that during the flare/touchdown she experienced, '... a little bit of turbulence... . ' She reported that two or three seconds after touchdown the airplane started to slide to the left. The pilot stated that she applied full right rudder to compensate for the drift, but the aircraft continued to slide. The pilot reported that the aircraft impacted a snowbank, on the left side of the runway, and the aircraft came to rest in an upright orientation. Examination of the runway showed a series of propeller impact marks along the centerline of the runway. Inspection of the wreckage revealed no anomalies with the airframe, flight controls, or engine. The pilot had a total time of 15.1 hours, with 14.6 hours as dual instruction and .5 hours as pilot-in-command.
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: student
- Flight time: 15 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 252 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 8, 1999; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BTL at 6:05 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 10,003 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from BTL
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.