Cessna 172N accident near Santa Fe, New Mexico, February 23, 1995
On February 23, 1995 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N737TC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Santa Fe, New Mexico (Santa Fe Municipal 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 PILOT'S DELAYED LANDING FLARE AND THE IMPROPER BOUNCED LANDING RECOVERY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 23, 1995 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Fe, New Mexico · Santa Fe Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N737TC · registry record · serial 17269654
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A TOUCH AND GO LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO BOUNCE AND OSCILLATE FOLLOWING TOUCHDOWN. THE SOLO STUDENT PILOT APPLIED FULL POWER TO GO AROUND AT WHICH POINT THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE RUNWAY. HAVING ACCOMPLISHED THE GO-AROUND, THE PILOT NOTICED THAT THE YOKE WAS 'NOT RESPONSIVE' AND LANDED THE AIRPLANE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. POST-LANDING INSPECTION REVEALED DEFORMATION OF THE FIREWALL AND THE TUNNEL STRUCTURE BEHIND THE FIREWALL, A BENT PROPELLER AND NOSE GEAR, AND DAMAGE TO THE STRINGERS NEAR THE MAIN GEAR BOX.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 16 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,957 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 18, 1994; 68 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air West Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: SAF at 5:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 6,304 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from SAF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.