Cessna 172S accident near Deland, Florida, May 9, 2014
On May 9, 2014 at about 1:33 pm local time, a 2007 Cessna 172S, registered N493ER, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Deland, Florida (Deland Municipal 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 failure to maintain control of the airplane during the landing, and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the student pilot resulting in abnormal runway contact and damage to the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 9, 2014 · about 1:33 pm local time
- Place
- Deland, Florida · Deland Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S, built 2007 · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N493ER · registry record · serial 172S10568
- 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 the student pilot were practicing short field landings. Following an uneventful first landing, the airplane approached the runway for a second. While on the short final leg of the approach to the runway, the airplane began sinking rapidly. The flight instructor responded by advising the student, "full power." The student pilot thought the flight instructor had said, "pull power," and subsequently reduced engine power to idle. The airplane impacted the runway and bounced back into the air. The flight instructor then took control of the airplane and aborted the landing. Subsequent inspection of the airplane by maintenance personnel revealed that the nose landing gear and engine firewall had been substantially damaged during the landing. Following the accident, the operator reemphasized to their flight instructors the importance of utilizing standard phraseology during training flights, including use of the phrase "go around" to indicate the necessity to abort a landing.
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 (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other person › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Communication (personnel) › Common phraseology › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,098 hours in all; 271 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 37 in the last 30 days; 4,186 as pilot in command; 1,491 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 17, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 48 hours in all; 48 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,877 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 30, 2014; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 5,930 hours total
- Operator: Embry Riddle Aeronautical University
The flight
- Departed from: DED Deland FL at 1:30 pm
- Destination: DED Deland FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 6,001 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 14,000 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from KDAB, 14 miles away
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.