# NTSB investigations: Cessna 172M: Hard landing

NTSB aviation accident and incident investigations since 1962: the probable cause, findings, aircraft, crew, weather and docket of each, linked to the FAA registry and the FAA’s own reports.

## Latest cases

- [NTSB ERA26LA016](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA016.md): Cessna 172 · Bluffton, OH · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Oct 3, 2025 · N64203 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing.
- [NTSB ERA25LA031](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA031.md): Cessna 172 · Louisville, KY · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Oct 8, 2024 · N640MG · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s improper landing flare and control inputs, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing was the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action.
- [NTSB ERA24LA204](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA24LA204.md): Cessna 172M · Westminster, MD · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · May 1, 2024 · N1377U · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to attain a proper touchdown point during a simulated loss of engine power approach, which resulted in a hard landing short of the runway. Also causal was the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action during the approach and subsequent…
- [NTSB WPR23LA010](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR23LA010.md): Cessna 172M · Burlington, WA · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Oct 8, 2022 · N73614 · Substantial damage
  > The pilots improper landing flare and remedial action which resulted in a hard, bounced landing.
- [NTSB ERA22LA303](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22LA303.md): Cessna 172M · South Portland, ME · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jul 8, 2022 · N9946Q · Substantial damage
  > The student pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing. Also causal was the flight instructor’s inadequate remedial action.
- [NTSB WPR20CA300](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR20CA300.md): Cessna 172 · Stuart Island, WA · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report · Sep 7, 2020 · N172CS · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s improper approach airspeed and landing flare, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing and nose over.
- [NTSB ERA20CA318](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20CA318.md): Cessna 172 · Wilmington, DE · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report · Sep 7, 2020 · N19813 · Substantial damage
  > The student pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard bounced landing.
- [NTSB ERA20CA256](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20CA256.md): Cessna 172 · Wellington, FL · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report · Jul 19, 2020 · N1655V · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s inadequate compensation for a wind gust during landing.
- [NTSB WPR20CA209](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR20CA209.md): Cessna 172 · Lubbock, TX · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report · Jun 8, 2020 · N92356 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's improper approach and descent rate, which resulted in a hard landing.
- [NTSB GAA18CA478](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA18CA478.md): Cessna 172 · Crystal River, FL · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Aug 6, 2018 · N9608H · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
- [NTSB GAA18CA097](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA18CA097.md): Cessna 172 · Monroe, MI · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Dec 21, 2017 · N4491R · Substantial damage
  > The student pilot’s improper yaw control during the landing flare and the flight instructor’s failure to take remedial action, which resulted in a hard landing.
- [NTSB GAA16CA361](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA16CA361.md): Cessna 172 · Lancaster, OH · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jun 21, 2016 · N19820 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's improper landing flare in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing.
- [NTSB ERA14LA122](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA14LA122.md): Cessna 172M · Pinson, TN · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Feb 14, 2014 · N194EX · Substantial damage
  > The noninstrument-rated pilot’s decision to continue flight into deteriorating weather conditions at night and his failure to divert in a timely manner, which resulted in an off-airport precautionary landing and subsequent substantial damage to the airplane.
- [NTSB WPR14CA074](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR14CA074.md): Cessna 172M · Fullerton, CA · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Dec 23, 2013 · N80238 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's inadequate landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing.
- [NTSB CEN13CA112](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13CA112.md): Cessna 172M · Eveleth, MN · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Dec 21, 2012 · N9660H · Substantial damage
  > The student pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard nosewheel landing.
- [NTSB ERA12CA420](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12CA420.md): Cessna 172M · Smyrna, TN · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jun 27, 2012 · N80985 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s inadequate flare and improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a hard landing.
- [NTSB CEN11CA018](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11CA018.md): Cessna 172M · Newton, KS · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · Aug 1, 2010 · N13013 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s inadequate flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
- [NTSB WPR09CA206](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR09CA206.md): Cessna 172M · Corona, CA · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Apr 21, 2009 · N9504H · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's improper landing flare.
- [NTSB ERA09CA061](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA09CA061.md): Cessna 172 · Ft. Lauderdale, FL · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Nov 17, 2008 · N12236 · Substantial damage
  > The student pilot's improper flare during landing. Contributing to the accident was the student pilot's lack of experience.
- [NTSB LAX08CA165](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX08CA165.md): Cessna 172M · Byron, CA · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jun 6, 2008 · N73403 · Substantial damage
  > The flight instructor's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions, and his inadequate supervision of the student pilot. Factors contributing to the accident were a sudden wind shift and wind gusts.

## The whole list in SQL

Runs in DuckDB 1.2 or later on the release's Parquet files over HTTPS:

```sql
SELECT c."ntsbNumber", c."eventDate", c."eventType", c."eventCity", c."eventStateOrRegion", a.n_number, a."aircraftMake", a."aircraftModel", c."highestInjuryLevel", c."totalFatal", c."completionStatus", c.report_url
FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = c."mKey" AND a.position = 1
WHERE c."mKey" IN (SELECT x.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' x WHERE x.aircraft_model_code IN ('2072418')
    AND EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' e WHERE e.case_mkey = x.case_mkey AND e.aircrafts_position = x.position AND e."isDefiningEvent" AND e."tier2Number" = '092'))
ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC
```

This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/cases?model=2072418

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.
