Cessna 172 accident near Wellington, Florida, July 19, 2020
On July 19, 2020 at about 3:30 pm local time, a 1974 Cessna 172, registered N1655V, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Wellington, Florida (Wellington Aero Club A/P airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadequate compensation for a wind gust during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 19, 2020 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Wellington, Florida · Wellington Aero Club A/P · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 M, built 1974 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N1655V · no longer on the register · serial 17263704
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a local flight, the pilot reported that the wind at the airport was light and variable. After flying a normal traffic pattern, she crossed the runway threshold on final approach and reduced the power to land. Upon touchdown, the airplane “was hit by a strong gust of wind.” The airplane then pitched up to a “very high nose up attitude.” The stall warning horn activated and the pilot attempted to recover; however, the airplane impacted the runway in a nose low attitude, seriously injuring the pilot and substantially damaging to the forward portion of the airplane’s fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
- Other weather encounter during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Response/compensation
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 72 hours in all; 72 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 30 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 27, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,824 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 11, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 3,820 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FD38 Wellington FL at 2:44 pm
- Destination: FD38 Wellington FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 4,055 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,900 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KPBI, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on April 12, 2021. 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 | Pilot's Written Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Excerpts - Airframe Logbook | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Excerpts - Engine Logbook | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo Array | 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.