Cessna 172S accident near Naples, Florida, April 19, 2015
On April 19, 2015 at about 4:20 pm local time, a 2004 Cessna 172S, registered N100PM, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Naples, Florida (Naples Municipal airport). It was a personal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control, resulting 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 19, 2015 · about 4:20 pm local time
- Place
- Naples, Florida · Naples Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S S, built 2004 · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N100PM · registry record · serial 172S9599
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tri-cycle landing gear equipped airplane reported a gust of wind lifted the airplane's nose during landing, which resulted in abnormal runway contact and subsequent hard landing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, cockpit floor board, and firewall. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Other weather encounter during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 484 hours in all; 370 in this make and model; 18.5 in the last 90 days; 8.8 in the last 30 days; 403.7 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 26, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,753.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 31, 2015; 335 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 5,627 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VNC Venice FL at 3:15 pm
- Destination: APF Naples FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 23, 6,600 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 13 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from APF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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 GAA15CA046.