Cessna 172S accident near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, May 23, 2014
On May 23, 2014 at about 1:15 am local time, a 2000 Cessna 172S, registered N193ME, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (Capital City Airport). It was a personal 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 pilot's failure to compensate for wind conditions during landing, 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
- May 23, 2014 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- Harrisburg, Pennsylvania · Capital City 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 2000 · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N193ME · registry record · serial 172S8458
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he was returning to his home airport at the conclusion of a local flight, and that he aborted the first landing attempt due to turbulence and wind gusts. Following a second approach for landing, the airplane encountered a "gust of wind" from the left during the landing flare. The airplane banked right, and the nose landing gear subsequently contacted the runway "hard." Postaccident inspection revealed that the propeller had struck the runway during landing, and further examination revealed substantial damage to the engine firewall. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 198 hours in all; 180 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 198 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 27, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,608 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, May 9, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 SER (piston); 1,304 hours total
- Operator: Sky Blue Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: P34 Mifflintown PA
- Destination: CXY Harrisburg PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 5,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.