- Date
- March 15, 2026, 08:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Cottonwood, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N178DRCessna 177
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 7, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA Scottsdale FSDO
- FAA report
- 20260315003239A
- Case key
- 202654
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 pilot’s improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The student pilot reported she was performing solo take-offs and landings. On the first landing attempt, the airplane bounced and the student then aborted the landing and re-entered the traffic pattern. On the next landing attempt, the airplane touched down on the nose landing gear. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and the fuselage side skins. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N178DR
- Reported as
- Cessna 177 (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17701575
- Built
- 1970
- Airframe hours
- 3,827
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1F6, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- H&H Trucking INC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 10, 2026 · 5 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- P52 · Cottonwood, runway 14/32, 4,250 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 166 total · 132 in this make and model · 3 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- P52
- METAR
- KSEZ 151455Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM (report uses pilot's wx data)
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.