Cessna 172R accident near Cheswold, Delaware, August 1, 1999
On August 1, 1999 at about 3:10 pm local time, a Cessna 172R, registered N2746C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cheswold, Delaware (Delaware 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 and improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 1, 1999 · about 3:10 pm local time
- Place
- Cheswold, Delaware · Delaware 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
- N2746C · registry record · serial 17280587
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that while landing at his destination, the first approach to land on Runway 27 was high, and a go-around was performed. The second attempt to land on the runway was long, and the airplane floated about halfway down the runway, before touching down hard. The airplane then bounced into the air, and settled back to the ground, touching down hard a second time. The airplane bounced several more times, until the pilot added full power, and executed a go-around. The pilot climbed the airplane to about 3,000 feet above the ground, and returned to his departure airport. The pilot did not notice any vibrations during the return flight, and the airplane performed normally, except for a slightly slower airspeed. Examination of the airplane revealed damage to the main gear, the main cabin floorboards, buckling of the firewall, and 2-inch rearward curling of the propeller
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: 175 hours in all; 29 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 65 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 467 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 8, 1999; 46 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-B1E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N99 West Chester PA at 2:40 pm
- Destination: 33N
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,715 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from DOV, 5 miles away
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 NYC99LA188.