Cessna 172P accident near Pelion, South Carolina, February 21, 1999
On February 21, 1999 at about 9:25 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N65770, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pelion, South Carolina (Pelion Corporate Airpark 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's loss of directional control during landing roll as a result of improper recovery from a bounced landing and the subsequent excursion from the runway, collision with the adjacent terrain, and collapse of the nose landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 21, 1999 · about 9:25 pm local time
- Place
- Pelion, South Carolina · Pelion Corporate Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N65770 · registry record · serial 172-75874
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot's second solo touch-and go-landing resulted in a bounced landing and violent nose wheel shimmy. He pulled slight back pressure to unload his nose wheel and lost directional control off the left side of the runway. The airplane collided with an intersecting taxiway, and collapsed the nose landing gear. Subsequent FAA examination revealed no discrepancies in the landing gear, braking, or steering systems.
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: 9 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,584 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 22, 1999; 55 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 6JO at 9:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 4,335 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 9 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,500 ft; clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:00 pm from CAE, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 MIA99LA090.