Cessna 172 accident near Clearwater, Florida, January 26, 2017
On January 26, 2017 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 1999 Cessna 172, registered N2382R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Clearwater, Florida (Clearwater Airpark 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in damage to the engine firewall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 26, 2017 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Clearwater, Florida · Clearwater Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 R, built 1999 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N2382R · registry record · serial 17280700
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After a preflight inspection revealed no anomalies, the private pilot departed on a local flight. Shortly after takeoff, he elected to return to the departure airport due to adverse weather nearby. He entered the airport traffic pattern and while on final approach with the flaps extended 30°, the airplane encountered a wind gust, which caused the airplane to balloon. The pilot executed a go-around and entered the traffic pattern for the same runway, but he only extended the flaps to 10°. He reported that the touchdown was soft and on the runway numbers. He then taxied to parking and secured the airplane. Surveillance video footage showed the pilot inspecting the propeller after disembarking. Postaccident examination of the airplane, which had not moved or been operated since being returned by the pilot, revealed damage to the propeller and firewall; therefore, it is likely that the damage was sustained during the pilot's landing due to an improper landing flare.
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
- 551090 during descent - normal
- 551092 during descent - normal
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land, none, none, none
- Flight time: 450 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 450 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 9, 2016
- Medical certificate: class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,955.6 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 12, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 5,828 hours total
- Operator: Clearwater Helicopters INC
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: CLW Clearwater FL at 5:00 pm
- Destination: CLW Clearwater FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 4,108 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 9 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scattered at 1,900 ft
- Temperature: 77°C, dew point 68°C
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from CLW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N2382R the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA17LA095.