Cessna 172 accident near Norwood, Massachusetts, May 10, 2002
On May 10, 2002 at about 4:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N172EF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Norwood, Massachusetts (Norwood Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during an aborted landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 10, 2002 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Norwood, Massachusetts · Norwood Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N172EF · registry record · serial 17280876
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a supervised solo flight, the student pilot was in the traffic pattern preparing for his fourth landing when the control tower advised of variable winds, which included a crosswind. The student pilot described the wind conditions as "gusty". When the airplane was about to touchdown on runway 28, it ballooned, then bounced, and drifted to the right. Then, the nose pitched up abruptly, and the right wing dropped. The airplane then veered to the right, toward a tree line. The student pilot applied full power, leveled the wings, and the airplane began to climb. However, there was not enough altitude to clear the tree tops. Weather at the airport included winds from 300 degrees at 10 knots, gusting to 17 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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 54 hours in all; 14 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 3 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 745.1 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 21, 2002; 65.1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,457 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OWD Norwood MA at 4:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 4,001 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 10 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 4:00 pm from OWD
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number IAD02LA050.