Cessna 172S accident near Sebring, Florida, September 3, 2012
On September 3, 2012 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N9965P, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Sebring, Florida (Sebring Regional Airport). It was an instructional 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 3, 2012 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Sebring, Florida · Sebring Regional 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
- N9965P · registry record · serial 172S10822
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that during a solo flight, just prior to touchdown, he flared the airplane too high above the runway. The airplane touched down hard and bounced; however, the student pilot was able to complete the landing and did not notice any anomalies at that time. He subsequently performed another takeoff and landing uneventfully. At the conclusion of his last flight of the day, the student pilot noticed damage to the airplane. The student pilot added that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane prior to the hard landing. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the firewall and lower fuselage.
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
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Student pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 60 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 6 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,405 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 12, 2012; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LAL Lakeland FL at 1:00 pm
- Destination: SEF Sebring FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 5,234 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 3:15 pm from OBE, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA12CA560.