Cessna 172 accident near Sanford, Florida, October 4, 2022
On October 4, 2022 at about 10:45 am local time, a 2015 Cessna 172, registered N455ER, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Sanford, Florida (Orlando Sanford Intl 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 pilot's unstable approach, which resulted in a hard landing and impact with a runway threshold light. Also causal was the flight instructor’s failure to take remedial action to prevent the hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 4, 2022 · about 10:45 am local time
- Place
- Sanford, Florida · Orlando Sanford Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 S, built 2015 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N455ER · no longer on the register · serial 172S11591
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot under instruction was flying a practice power-off 180° maneuver from the downwind leg at the accident airport. The flight instructor stated that on final approach the airplane’s airspeed was slow and the flight path was low. He stated that since the purpose of the flight was to evaluate student’s piloting skills, he allowed the approach to proceed and did not tell the student to add power or go around. The airplane landed firmly at the runway threshold and the horizontal stabilizer impacted a runway threshold light. Postaccident examination revealed that the horizontal stabilizer sustained substantial damage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation and that a go-around maneuver should have been initiated when the approach became unstable.
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
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Instructor/check pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 912 hours in all; 893 in this make and model; 144 in the last 90 days; 52 in the last 30 days; 824 as pilot in command; 585 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 14, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 167 hours in all; 167 in this make and model; 49 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 84 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 25, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: unkn
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,662.1 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, September 9, 2022; 75.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,558 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 2,205 hours total
- Operator: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University INC
The flight
- Departed from: DAB Daytona Beach FL at 10:15 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27R, 11,002 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 am from SFB
Weather report (METAR): KSFB 041053Z 33006KT 10SM CLR 18/16 A2998 RMK AO2 SLP150 T01780161
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on June 7, 2023. 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 | Memorandum of Record - Injury Clarification | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum of Record - Instructor Response to Unstable Approach | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | 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.