Cessna 172 accident near Palm Coast, Florida, December 24, 2016
On December 24, 2016 at about 2:30 pm local time, a 2005 Cessna 172, registered N1289Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Palm Coast, Florida (Flagler 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 improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing and porpoise.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 24, 2016 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Palm Coast, Florida · Flagler Executive · 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
- N1289Y · registry record · serial 172S9851
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the flight instructor who observed the student pilot's first solo flight from the ground, the airplane landed hard and porpoised due to the student pilot's improper flare. A postaccident examination revealed the airplane had sustained substantial damage to the aileron and elevator systems and the firewall. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident 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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Hard landing during landing
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: 37.9 hours in all; 37.9 in this make and model; 37.9 in the last 90 days; 15.8 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,585.1 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 16, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 6,751 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FIN Palm Coast FL at 2:10 pm
- Destination: FIN Palm Coast FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 06, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.29 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from KDAB, 19 miles away
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 28, 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 | Accident Photos (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 2 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.