Cessna 172 accident near Dunkirk, New York, August 29, 2000
On August 29, 2000 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N803SP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dunkirk, New York (Chautauqua County/Dunkirk airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 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 recovery from a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 29, 2000 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Dunkirk, New York · Chautauqua County/Dunkirk · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N803SP · registry record · serial 172S8108
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot flew an approach to Runway 33, a 4,000 foot long asphalt runway. On final approach, the pilot added 20 degrees of flaps and noticed his airspeed was higher than normal. The airplane touched down about 1/3 of the length of the runway and bounced twice. When the pilot realized there was not sufficient runway to stop the airplane, he applied full power, retracted the flaps, and initiated a 'go-around'. The aircraft proceeded off the runway, and nosed over about 250 feet from the departure end of the runway.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 402 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 402 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 628 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 17, 2000; 31 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: ERI Erie PA at 1:15 pm
- Destination: DKK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 4,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from DKK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.