Cessna R172K accident near Brooksville, Florida, December 16, 2022
On December 16, 2022 at about 8:15 pm local time, a 1977 Cessna R172K, registered N5405V, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Brooksville, Florida (Brooksville-Tampa Bay Rgnl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A hard landing that fractured the nose landing gear assembly, resulting in a loss of directional control and a nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 16, 2022 · about 8:15 pm local time · cases in 2022
- Place
- Brooksville, Florida · Brooksville-Tampa Bay Rgnl · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna R172K, built 1977 · all R172Ks on the register
- Registration
- N5405V · registry record · serial R1722294
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he made a normal touchdown, but he was unable to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll. He reported that the airplane did not respond to his control inputs, and it veered off the left side of the runway, struck a ditch, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. A tower controller initially reported to local law enforcement that the airplane bounced on landing, but he later recanted his statement. Examination of the wreckage revealed the nose wheel was separated and the nose gear fork assembly was fractured. A metallurgical examination of the fractured pieces of the nose gear revealed fracture surfaces with features consistent with overstress fracture. Flight control continuity was confirmed, and the remainder of the examination revealed no pre-impact mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the physical evidence, the landing gear likely fractured during a hard landing, causing the loss of directional control.
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 (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Failure other cases naming the landing gear
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Capability exceeded other cases naming the landing gear
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all; 600 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,368 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 5, 2022; 106 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ORL Orlando FL at 7:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 7,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 8:31 pm from BKV
Weather report (METAR): SPECI KBKV 162031Z 02004KT 10SM SCT110 20/04 A3002 RMK AO2 T02000039
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 4 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photo 1 – View of Landing Runway Facing Direction of Travel (FAA)
Photo 2 – View of Airplane as Found Facing Opposite Direction of Travel – (FAA)
Photo 3 – View of Nose Landing Gear Assembly as Found – (FAA)
Photo 4 – View of Nose Landing Gear Fragments after Recovery – (FAA)The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on March 28, 2024. 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 Memorandum for Record | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Sheriff's Office Report Excerpt | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo Array | PDF, 4 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 4 | Materials Laboratory Factual Report | PDF, 15 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N5405V on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna R172 Hawk XP 758 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,682 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental IO-360-K 9 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional · nearest airport
- Orlando Executive · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Florida 6,111 since 1982 · 987 in the last ten years
- Florida 21,702 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA23LA091.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.