Cessna 172S accident near Gainsville, Georgia, April 16, 2006
On April 16, 2006 at about 12:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N21527, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gainsville, Georgia (Gainesville/Lee Gilmer Memoria airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper landing flare which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 16, 2006 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Gainsville, Georgia · Gainesville/Lee Gilmer Memoria · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N21527 · no longer on the register · serial 172S
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was performing his first solo flight and had completed three takeoffs, landings, and full stops on runway 29. After departing on the fourth takeoff the student pilot noticed clouds near the west, and elected to make his fourth landing final. The student pilot flew a normal left hand traffic pattern for runway 29 and upon turning final noted that " all seemed normal, and maybe a little high in ground effect." The airplane "hit" hard on the runway and then bounced two more times before settling on the ground. The student pilot noticed that the flight controls "did not seem to work right, and the airplane did not sound right". The student stated that he made the " classic mistake of stalling the airplane on landing". The student pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane prior to the accident.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 57 hours in all; 29 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 3 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,080 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KGVL Gainsville GA at 12:00 pm
- Destination: KGVL Gainsville GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 4,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from KGVL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.