Cessna 172R accident near Miami, Florida, October 20, 2012
On October 20, 2012 at about 11:15 am local time, a Cessna 172R, registered N974BC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Miami, Florida (Kendall Tamiami 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 flight instructor's improper power management during a steep, obstacle-clearance approach, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 20, 2012 · about 11:15 am local time
- Place
- Miami, Florida · Kendall Tamiami · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172R · all 172Rs on the register
- Registration
- N974BC · registry record · serial 17280044
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the flight instructor, he was demonstrating to a student pilot the technique required to land the airplane on a short runway over a 50-foot obstacle. About 50 feet over the runway, at an airspeed of 60 knots, with flaps fully deployed, the instructor reduced the throttle to idle and pitched the nose down to "increase airspeed" and flare the airplane before touchdown. Immediately after reducing the engine power to idle, the airplane "sunk," and the instructor responded with a full throttle application. However, the airplane was "too close to the ground," and the engine did not respond in time to prevent a hard landing, which resulted in substantial damage to the engine firewall. The instructor reported that there were no 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
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Fuselage › Gear attach fittings (on fus) › Capability exceeded
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 993 hours in all; 645 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 77 in the last 30 days; 906 as pilot in command; 607 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 49 hours in all; 49 in this make and model; 49 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 5 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,068 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 5, 2012; 85 hours since
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO360 SER A&C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TMB Miami FL at 10:00 am
- Destination: Miami FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27L, 5,999 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 am from TMB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.
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.