Cessna 172RG accident near Waterville, Maine, April 6, 2022
On April 6, 2022 at about 2:05 pm local time, a 1984 Cessna 172RG, registered N9440D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Waterville, Maine (Waterville Robert Lafleur 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 student pilot’s incorrect landing flare, which resulted in a hard bounced landing and nose landing gear collapse.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 6, 2022 · about 2:05 pm local time
- Place
- Waterville, Maine · Waterville Robert Lafleur Airp · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172RG NO SERIES, built 1984 · all 172RGs on the register
- Registration
- N9440D · no longer on the register · serial 172RG1162
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo student pilot reported that following performing maneuvers in the local area he returned to the airport to complete touch-and-go landings. He had completed four landings and remained in the pattern for his fifth landing, in which he planned to do a soft field landing. Upon touchdown, the pilot described that a “hard bounce” sent the airplane back into the air. When the airplane touched down again, the nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane skidded to a stop on the runway. The fuselage and rudder sustained substantial damage. The student pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
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 defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Incorrect use/operation
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 21 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 3 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,709 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 22, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-F1AG (piston); 5,709 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WVL Waterville ME at 1:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05-2, 5,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 am from KWVL, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KWVL 061356Z AUTO 05007KT 10SM CLR 07/M08 A3004 RMK AO2 SLP200 T00721078=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on August 17, 2022. 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 | Record of Conversation (Student Pilot) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photo Array | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Duplicate Case Assignment Memorandum | PDF, 5 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.