Cessna 172 accident near Dothan, Alabama, January 12, 2016
On January 12, 2016 at about 4:18 pm local time, a 2014 Cessna 172, registered N417ER, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Dothan, Alabama (Dothan Rgnl 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-rated student's hard landing, which resulted in fuselage damage.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 12, 2016 · about 4:18 pm local time
- Place
- Dothan, Alabama · Dothan Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 S, built 2014 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N417ER · registry record · serial 172S11445
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The operator reported that the solo pilot-rated student was conducting a cross county flight and during the touchdown, the airplane bounced "multiple times," landed hard, and the propeller impacted the runway. The pilot taxied off the runway without further incident. A postflight inspection revealed substantial damage to the firewall and to the floorboards underneath the rudder pedals. The operator reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine 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 (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 161 hours in all; 139 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 90 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 20, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,478.7 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, December 10, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 1,479 hours total
- Operator: Embry Riddle Aeronautical University INC
The flight
- Departed from: DAB Daytona Beach FL at 1:00 pm
- Destination: DHN Dothan AL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 32, 8,499 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.31 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KDHN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on February 8, 2016. 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 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photos (Courtesy of Operator) | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.