Cessna 172 accident near Davis, Oklahoma, February 28, 2010
On February 28, 2010 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N72TN, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Davis, Oklahoma (Crazy Horse Municipal Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor’s improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 28, 2010 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Davis, Oklahoma · Crazy Horse Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 K · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N72TN · registry record · serial R1722028
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor was demonstrating a landing to the student when the airplane landed “very hard”, bounced once and then landed on the nose gear. The flight instructor immediately shut down the engine and discovered the control yoke was jammed in the full aft position. The hard landing caused substantial damage to the forward firewall and the lower forward fuselage which jammed the elevator control mechanism. The two occupants were not injured and immediately exited the airplane.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Flight control sys malf/fail during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Personality/attitude › Self confidence › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 805 hours in all; 460 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 734 as pilot in command; 104 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 16, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 36 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,702 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 7, 2009; 78 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 97F Davis OK at 4:00 pm
- Destination: 97F Davis OK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 17, 2,600 ft by 34 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 4:29 pm from pvj, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.