Cessna 182Q accident near Lutz, Florida, April 12, 2026
On April 12, 2026 at about 10:46 pm local time, a 1977 Cessna 182Q, registered N759AP, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Lutz, Florida (Tampa North Aero Park 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 improper landing flare and the flight instructor’s inadequate remedial action, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 12, 2026 · about 10:46 pm local time
- Place
- Lutz, Florida · Tampa North Aero Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182Q, built 1977 · all 182Qs on the register
- Registration
- N759AP · registry record · serial 18265841
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot had hired the flight instructor to accompany her on a three-day cross-country trip where they made multiple stops in order for her to gain familiarity with operating the airplane outside of her home operating environment. At the conclusion of a short cross-country flight, the student pilot was manipulating the controls while under instruction. During the landing attempt, the student pilot flared too early at an excessive height above the runway. The flight instructor did not take control of the airplane and instead attempted to give verbal instruction to the student to recover, but the airplane’s sink rate increased as the airspeed decreased. The airplane subsequently landed hard and flat on all 3-landing gear, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. Following the accident, the flight instructor stated that in hindsight he should have been more proactive and intervened earlier by conducting a go-around when the approach became unstable. The student pilot also stated that she was uncomfortable with the landings at an unfamiliar airport with 50 ft trees at the ends; she also thought that the flight instructor would be more hands-on during his instruction. The flight instructor reported that there were no pre impact 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
- Hard landing during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 469 hours in all; 53 in this make and model; 145 in the last 90 days; 47 in the last 30 days; 422 as pilot in command; 175 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 13, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 200 hours in all; 100 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,620.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 8, 2026; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470-U (piston); 842 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PCM Plant City FL at 10:27 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14/3, 3,541 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 10 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 3025.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:46 pm from ZPH, 13 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KZPH 122255Z AUTO 09010KT 10SM CLR 26/11 A3025
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA26LA203.