Cessna 172C accident near Williamson, Georgia, March 15, 2015
On March 15, 2015 at about 3:34 pm local time, a 1961 Cessna 172C, registered N8452X, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Williamson, Georgia (Peach State Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The separation of the nosewheel upon landing due to a missing bolt that attached the upper torque assembly to the nosewheel steering arm assembly. When and how the bolt separated could not be determined.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 15, 2015 · about 3:34 pm local time
- Place
- Williamson, Georgia · Peach State Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172C, built 1961 · all 172Cs on the register
- Registration
- N8452X · registry record · serial 17248952
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot made a soft-field landing to a grass runway, and the initial touchdown was on the main wheels with the airplane in a nose-up attitude. As the airplane decelerated, the pilot lowered the nosewheel and felt a "significant" shimmy after it touched down. The pilot thought the shimmy damper had failed, so he applied back pressure on the control wheel to minimize weight on the nosewheel. As the airplane continued to decelerate, the pilot again lowered the nose, and a more substantial vibration occurred. He then raised the nosewheel as much as possible. Eventually, so much groundspeed had depleted that he could no longer hold the airplane's nosewheel off the ground. When the nosewheel touched down again, it separated from the airplane. Examination of the airplane revealed that a bolt and associated washer and nut that attached the upper torque assembly to the nosewheel steering arm assembly was missing, and it was not located. The pilot said that he saw the bolt during his preflight inspection. It could not be determined when the bolt separated from the nosewheel. According to the airplane manufacturer, without that bolt, the lower shock strut assembly of the nosewheel would freely caster in the shock strut tube assembly, which would result in a significant shimmy, and the nosewheel steering control would be significantly reduced or nonexistent. Without the torque assembly attached, the shimmy dampener would have limited-to-no effect. A review of the airplane maintenance logbooks revealed that no recent maintenance had been conducted on the nosewheel. The fracture surfaces of the broken nosewheel assembly were consistent with having failed due to overload forces during landing, and no preimpact anomalies were noted. It could not be determined how the bolt separated from the nosewheel steering arm assembly.
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
What happened, in order
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,065 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 240 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 5,000 as pilot in command; 500 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 5, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,216.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 25, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: R A Marsh Flying Club LLC
The flight
- Departed from: GA2 Williamson GA at 2:20 pm
- Destination: GA2 Williamson GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 2,400 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on September 24, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation - FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Email from Cessna | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Page 86 from Cessna 172 Illustrated Parts Catalog | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 1 - Wreckage (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 2 - Fractured Nose Gear Assembly (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo 3 - View of Where Missing Bolt Was Supposed to Be Attached (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.