Cessna 172N accident near Mckinney, Texas, December 1, 2012
On December 1, 2012 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N737TY, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Mckinney, Texas (Collin County Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadequate flare, which resulted in a hard nosewheel landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 1, 2012 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mckinney, Texas · Collin County Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N737TY · registry record · serial 17269673
- 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 windy conditions existed during the flight, but the wind was not a crosswind during landing. He said that the airplane touched down hard on the nosewheel, bounced, and then settled onto the runway. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the nosewheel landing gear and propeller were bent, and the firewall sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
- Hard landing during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › (general) › Not specified
- 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: 76 hours in all; 11 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 23 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,642 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 10, 2012
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Texins Association
The flight
- Departed from: KTKI Mckinney TX
- Destination: KTKI Mckinney TX
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 18, 7,002 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 18 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,600 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from KTKI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on December 31, 2012. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.