Cessna 172R accident near Northhampton, Massachusetts, December 10, 2006
On December 10, 2006 at about 2:50 pm local time, a Cessna 172R, registered N9421Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Northhampton, Massachusetts (Northampton 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 inadequate 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
- December 10, 2006 · about 2:50 pm local time
- Place
- Northhampton, Massachusetts · Northampton Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172R · all 172Rs on the register
- Registration
- N9421Z · registry record · serial 17280267
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While landing on the runway with a 10-knot right crosswind, the Cessna 172R bounced and drifted left. The pilot, who possessed 78 total hours of flight experience, stated, "I attempted to correct for the drift and resettle the aircraft on the runway, when it hit hard again." Subsequent inspections of the airplane revealed damaged propeller blades and a buckled firewall. The pilot reported 7 total hours of experience in make and model, and reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane.
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
- Flight time: 75 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7B2 Northampton MA
- Destination: 7B2
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 3,365 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 10 knots
- 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.
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.