N7545G

On July 11, 1996, at 1040 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172L, N7545G, sustained substantial damage when it descended and impacted terrain during an attempted go around at a private airstrip in Vicksburg, Michigan. The private pilot and three passengers reported no injuries. The personal, 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The flight departed Jackson, Michigan about 1000 with a planned destination of Vicksburg, Michigan.

The pilot reported that, prior to landing, he over flew the runway to check for deer, geese, and sand hill cranes which are "common around this airport." During landing, he touched down at approximately 40 miles per hour. As the nose gear touched the runway he saw four sand hill cranes 20 to 30 feet in front of him. He applied full power and pulled back on the yolk. The airplane was "mushing, nose up, in the air. The pilot was "retracting the flaps and pushing forward on the yolk to get the nose down." The airplane impacted the terrain left of the runway on the left main landing gear, then the right main, then the nose gear. The nose gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over sustaining substantial damage.