- Date
- April 19, 2026, 09:50 local (15:50 UTC)
- Place
- Centennial, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N53265Cessna 172P
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 15, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20260419004259A
- Case key
- 202870
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The student pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the flare which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and aerodynamic stall at a low altitude and loss of airplane control.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings.
Analysis
The student pilot stated she was practicing solo touch-and-go landings. On short final on the second touch-and-go she reported she was lined up with the runway and at the correct airspeed. As she began to flare the stall horn sounded and the airplane stalled, she lowered the nose and added power. The airplane drifted right and touched down to the right of the runway and proceeded down sloping terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N53265
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17274714
- Built
- 1981
- Airframe hours
- 16,301
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Jeppesen Employees Flying Association
- Registered owner
- Jeppesen Employees Flying Association
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 1, 2026 · 9.5 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- APA · Centennial, runway 17R, 7,001 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, ADS-B, Electronic multifunction display
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 17
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 58 total · 47 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- APA, 1 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KAPA 191553Z 14004KT 10SM CLR 13/M11 A3020 RMK AO2 SLP202 T01281106
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 15, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 9.9 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.