Cessna 172 accident near Cleveland, Ohio, August 19, 2003
On August 19, 2003 at about 3:36 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N229ME, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cleveland, Ohio (Burke Lakefront airport). It was a personal 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's improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 2003 · about 3:36 pm local time
- Place
- Cleveland, Ohio · Burke Lakefront · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N229ME · registry record · serial 17258483
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot approached the runway at 70 knots, idled the engine after crossing over the runway "numbers," and leveled off. He flared, and the airplane floated for a while. When the airplane landed, the pilot heard a noise, and thought he had hit something. The airplane ballooned about 5 feet in the air, and landed again. At that time, the nosewheel began to vibrate violently. The pilot realized that something was wrong, and made a decision not to go around. The airplane ballooned again, about 7 or 8 feet into the air, landed hard on the nosewheel, and bounced one last time. After the airplane settled onto the runway, it veered to the right and went into the grass. Examination of the airplane revealed that the firewall was completely wrinkled, and was split about 10 inches up from the base.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 208 hours in all; 208 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UMP Indianapolis IN
- Destination: BKL Cleveland OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 6L
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N229ME the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.