Cessna 172 accident near Auburn, California, September 18, 2016
On September 18, 2016 at about 6:50 pm local time, a 1979 Cessna 172, registered N7560D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Auburn, California (Auburn Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 18, 2016 · about 6:50 pm local time
- Place
- Auburn, California · Auburn Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 N, built 1979 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N7560D · registry record · serial 17272922
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during the landing touchdown, the airplane bounced hard, pitched up, and became airborne again. He further reported that he pushed the flight controls forward to lower the pitch attitude, and the airplane touched down again "abruptly" on the main landing gear, which was "almost immediately followed by the nose gear." During the landing roll, the airplane rolled to the left and the pilot "realized the nose gear had collapsed," because he could not steer the airplane. The airplane stopped off to the left edge of the runway. The firewall sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with 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 (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
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 › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 134 hours in all; 103 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 87 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 27, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Flying Vikings INC.
The flight
- Departed from: HWD Hayward CA at 5:45 pm
- Destination: AUN Auburn CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 3,700 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 7:15 pm from KAUN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 GAA16CA511.