Cessna 172F accident near Hampton, Georgia, April 30, 2022
On April 30, 2022 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 1965 Cessna 172F, registered N5704R, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Hampton, Georgia (Atlanta Speedway Airport). It was an instructional 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s application of excessive left brake during the landing roll, resulting in a loss of directional control and a runway excursion. The flight instructor’s inadequate remedial action was a factor in the accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 30, 2022 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Hampton, Georgia · Atlanta Speedway Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172F, built 1965 · all 172Fs on the register
- Registration
- N5704R · no longer on the register · serial 17253357
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that her student was performing a normal visual approach and landing. After touchdown, the student had the proper wind correction added; however, she applied excessive left brake and the airplane veered “dramatically” to the left, into the grass. The airplane collided with a runway sign, resulting in damage to the fuselage and a collapsed nose landing gear. There were no injuries. An inspector with the Federal Aviation Administration examined the wreckage and determined that the damage to the fuselage was substantial. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with 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
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 24 hours in all; 14 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 863 hours in all; 568 in this make and model; 84 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 773 as pilot in command; 507 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 20, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,974 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 31, 2022; 73 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 4,901 hours total
- Operator: Happy Goat Flying Club
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 5,509 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 9 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; scat at 3,400 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 1:35 pm from K6A2, 10 miles away
Weather report (METAR): K6A2 301735Z AUTO 19009G14KT 160V220 10SM SCT034 SCT045 BKN070 25/16 A3009 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on May 25, 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 | Flight Instructor Written Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Student Pilot Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo Array | 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.