Cessna 172P accident near Concord, New Hampshire, January 7, 2001
On January 7, 2001 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N54931, was substantially damaged in an accident near Concord, New Hampshire (Concord Muni Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's improper decision to land downwind on the snow and ice covered runway with a tailwind, and his failure to perform a go-around. Factors in the accident were the tailwind and the snow and ice on the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 7, 2001 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Concord, New Hampshire · Concord Muni Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N54931 · no longer on the register · serial 17275081
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and student pilot departed from runway 35, which was covered with patches of snow and ice, and climbed to 1,200 feet before leveling the airplane. The flight instructor then instructed the student pilot to perform a simulated engine failure approach and landing. The student pilot turned the airplane 270 degrees and prepared for a landing on runway 12. The airplane touched down about half-way down the 3,200 foot-long runway, and bounced back into the air. The flight instructor then took the controls and landed on the snow covered runway. The airplane touched down about 3/4 of the way down the runway, and as the flight instructor stepped on the brakes, the airplane skid into a snowbank and nosed over. Both pilots reported there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. The winds reported at the time of the accident were from 320 degrees at 8 knots.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 423 hours in all; 69 in this make and model; 58 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 314 as pilot in command; 23 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 21, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 27 hours in all; 27 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,814 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 26, 2000; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,407 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CON Concord NH at 3:50 pm
- Destination: CON
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 3,200 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 8:51 pm from CON
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.