Cessna 172S accident near Fargo, North Dakota, June 19, 2022
On June 19, 2022 at about 11:00 pm local time, a 2009 Cessna 172S, registered N5256S, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Fargo, North Dakota (Hector Intl airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 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 failure to adequately monitor the pilot flying, which resulted in a nose-wheel first hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 19, 2022 · about 11:00 pm local time · cases in 2022
- Place
- Fargo, North Dakota · Hector Intl · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S, built 2009 · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N5256S · registry record · serial 172S10901
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that during a discovery flight, the customer in the right seat locked his arms forward during landing and the instructor was unable to overpower him. The airplane subsequently landed hard with the nose wheel first and bounced. The instructor conducted a go-around and landed safely. A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the airframe.
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 defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other person › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: unmanned (suas)
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Fargo Jet Center LLC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 9,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 22 knots, gusting 32
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 100°F (38°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.66 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from KFAR
Weather report (METAR): KFAR 192253Z 20022G32KT 10SM CLR 38/19 A2966 RMK AO2 PK WND 20034/2158 SLP034 T03780189
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 22, 2022. 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's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N5256S on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk 20,691 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,677 aircraft on the register
- Hector International · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in North Dakota 581 since 1982 · 59 in the last ten years
- North Dakota 2,493 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN22LA281.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.