Cessna 172P accident near Coatesville, Pennsylvania, March 2, 2002
On March 2, 2002 at about 4:40 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N65021, was substantially damaged in an accident near Coatesville, Pennsylvania (Chester County airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot's loss of aircraft control which resulted in a hard landing, and the CFI's delayed remedial action. Factors related to the accident were the fatigue cracks which initiated at the attachment hole on the landing gear strut, and the crosswind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 2, 2002 · about 4:40 pm local time
- Place
- Coatesville, Pennsylvania · Chester County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N65021 · registry record · serial 17275670
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While the student pilot was landing on runway 11, about 5 feet above the runway, a gust of wind was encountered, which lifted the right wing. The left main landing gear touched down and the gear spring twisted. The airplane began to drift to the left, and after the CFI "gave the student a second or two to recover from this position," he took the controls. Continuing to veer, the airplane departed the left side of the runway, where the left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane came to rest in a grass area. The left main landing gear spring was retained for further examination. According to the manufacturers technical report of the examination, the tubular spring for the left main landing gear fractured at the inboard end. The inboard end of the spring contained a longitudinal oriented fracture that intersected a fastener hole. The fracture face contained chevron marks typical of an overstress fracture that pointed back to the hole, indicating that the fracture emanated from the fastener hole. No evidence of corrosion was noted on the fracture region. Further examination revealed that the fastener hole contained machining marks and fretting. Review of the airplane's maintenance records revealed that the landing gear struts were removed from the fuselage, and floats were installed, in 1992. After about 2,158 hours of service, the floats were removed, and the original landing gear struts were re-installed. The airplane had accumulated about 3,598 hours of total service. The CFI reported that the winds at the airport, about the time of the accident, were from 180 degrees at 8 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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,546 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 2,425 as pilot in command; 1,945 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 29, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 35 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,577 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 15, 2002; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-329-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N99 West Chester PA at 4:00 pm
- Destination: 40N Cotesville PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11, 5,400 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 20,000 ft; a few clouds at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.53 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from PHL, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.