Cessna 172N accident near Miami, Florida, August 3, 2015
On August 3, 2015 at about 11:30 am local time, a 1979 Cessna 172N, registered N6223D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Miami, Florida (Miami Executive 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 student pilot's failure to maintain pitch control resulting in a hard landing and damage to the airplane firewall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 3, 2015 · about 11:30 am local time
- Place
- Miami, Florida · Miami Executive · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N N, built 1979 · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N6223D · no longer on the register · serial 17272643
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the student pilot, while performing touch and go landings at his host airport, the airplane sustained a hard landing. He stated that the first of two landings was flat and the airplane bounced, but the subsequent takeoff was normal. He reported that during the second landing, "I felt that there was something wrong with the tire, so I stopped, followed the checklist to shut down the engine and proceeded to contact tower and request assistance." A post flight inspection revealed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fire wall. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies prior to flight that would have prevented 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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 54 hours in all; 54 in this make and model; 54 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 2 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,590 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 1, 2015; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 E2G (piston); 885 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TMB Miami FL at 11:15 am
- Destination: TMB Miami FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09R, 6,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 am from TMB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.