Cessna 152 accident near Miami, Florida, June 29, 2017
On June 29, 2017 at about 10:20 pm local time, a 1979 Cessna 152, registered N53396, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Miami, Florida (Miami Executive 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 student pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 29, 2017 · about 10:20 pm local time
- Place
- Miami, Florida · Miami Executive Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 NO SERIES, built 1979 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N53396 · no longer on the register · serial 15283543
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot performed three landings earlier that day with his flight instructor and then was signed off for his first solo flight. The student departed and remained in the traffic pattern, and the airplane bounced during the first landing. After bouncing three times, the nose landing gear fork and wheel assembly separated, and the propeller impacted the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mount and firewall. The operator reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Hard landing during landing
- Landing gear collapse during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 60 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 53.9 in the last 90 days; 24.5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16,759.9 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 12, 2017; 44 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 9,246 hours total
- Operator: Dean International, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: TMB Miami FL at 10:05 pm
- Destination: TMB Miami FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09L, 5,003 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,600 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from TMB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on November 27, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Investigative Photos (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.