Cessna 172S accident near Greenfield, Indiana, June 1, 2010
On June 1, 2010 at about 5:40 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N1448Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Greenfield, Indiana (Mount Comfort Airport). It was a personal 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 and 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
- June 1, 2010 · about 5:40 pm local time
- Place
- Greenfield, Indiana · Mount Comfort Airport · 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
- N1448Z · registry record · serial 172S9891
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that she was practicing touch-and-go landings when the accident occurred. During her first touch-and-go, the airplane bounced after a hard landing. She attempted to correct for the bounced landing, but the airplane’s nose landing gear impacted the runway before the main landing gear. The airplane stabilized onto all three landing gear and she proceeded with the next takeoff. No anomalies were experienced with the two subsequent landings. A postflight inspection of the airframe revealed substantial damage to the engine firewall and fuselage floor structure. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of 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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 95 hours in all; 95 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 14, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,508 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 28, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Dlrm, LLC.
The flight
- Departed from: KMQJ Greenfield IN at 5:30 pm
- Destination: KMQJ Greenfield IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 5,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,200 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from KGEZ, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N1448Z the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.