Cessna 172 accident near Sarasota, Florida, November 8, 2016
On November 8, 2016 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 2005 Cessna 172, registered N2272C, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Sarasota, Florida (Sarasota/Bradenton Intl 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 improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 8, 2016 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Sarasota, Florida · Sarasota/Bradenton Intl · 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 2005 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N2272C · registry record · serial 172S9954
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that, during his third solo flight, he "had a hard landing." He added that he aborted the landing, landed again, and taxied to the ramp without further incident. After shutting the airplane down, he noticed that the propeller and nose landing gear were damaged. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall.
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 defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 58 hours in all; 58 in this make and model; 58 in the last 90 days; 39.2 in the last 30 days; 5.8 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,584.5 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 26, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 4,584 hours total
- Operator: Cirrus Aviation Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: SRQ Sarasota FL
- Destination: SRQ Sarasota FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04, 5,009 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KSRQ, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 8, 2017. 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 | Student Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | 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.