Cessna 172P accident near Miami, Florida, October 30, 2014
On October 30, 2014 at about 11:48 am local time, a 1984 Cessna 172P, registered N97277, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Miami, Florida (Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airp 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the student pilot to achieve a proper touchdown during a touch-and-go landing resulting in a hard landing and substantial damage.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 30, 2014 · about 11:48 am local time
- Place
- Miami, Florida · Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airp · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P, built 1984 · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N97277 · no longer on the register · serial 17276172
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot had performed three uneventful landings with his instructor on board; his certified flight instructor later stated that the student, "… performed way above the standards needed to show me he would be safe during solo flight." While flying solo for the first time, the student performed one uneventful touch-and-go landing and remained in the traffic pattern for runway 9R. With a calm wind, the student pilot reported that the approach was normal; however, the landing was harder than normal. He continued the takeoff roll for another touch-and-go landing but reported hearing a weird sound. He added power, and believe that was the moment when the nose landing gear tire deflated. He then felt a, "strange movement and I felt the nose falling." He reduced power to abort the takeoff and then heard and felt something touching the floor. After coming to rest he contacted the air traffic control tower and reported what occurred. Postaccident inspection of the airplane by several FAA inspectors revealed the wings, upper fuselage, cabin, tail, main landing gear, primary flight controls, engine, and engine mount were intact. The nose landing gear inner cylinder was pushed up through the upper housing, and the firewall was damaged on the left, right, and aft sides of the nose landing gear mount. The upper quadrant of the firewall also exhibited a seven inch buckle. Following recovery of the airplane, the engine was started and found to operate normally. The operator also reported that the cabin floor was bent.
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
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail gear attach section › Capability exceeded
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Student/instructed pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 51 hours in all; 51 in this make and model; 51 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 0 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,239.4 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 22, 2014; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 7,195 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TMB Miami FL at 11:27 am
- Destination: TMB Miami FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9R, 5,999 ft by 1,500 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 am from TMB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N97277 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.