Cessna 172S accident near Clewiston, Florida, August 2, 2023
On August 2, 2023 at about 10:15 am local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N1403R, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Clewiston, Florida (Clewiston 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 student pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing on the nose landing gear. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s inadequate supervision of the student pilot.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 2, 2023 · about 10:15 am local time
- Place
- Clewiston, Florida · Clewiston · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N1403R · registry record · serial 172S9877
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and student pilot were practicing short field landings when the student pilot landed hard on the nose landing gear. The flight instructor took control of the airplane and performed a touch-and-go. The flight instructor held the nose landing gear off the ground on the full stop landing; however, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane veered off the runway and into the grass. Post flight examination revealed buckling and wrinkling of the lower fuselage. The examination of the airplane found no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations. The flight instructor reported that the student pilot was low on the approach, but the flight instructor did not intervene because the student pilot was going to take his private pilot checkride later that day and could perform short field landings. Neither the flight instructor nor the student pilot returned the National Transportation Safety Board 6120.1 Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report.
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
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Unknown (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Wayman Aviation Academy
The flight
- Departed from: HWO Hollywood Airport FL at 9:30 am
- Destination: 2IS Clewiston Airport FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 5,902 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 am from KHWO, 50 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KHWO 020953Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 26/24 A3002
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on December 13, 2023. 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 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | CFI Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Student Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | FAA Inspection Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N1403R 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.