Cessna 172 accident near Park Rapids, Minnesota, December 2, 2017
On December 2, 2017 at about 3:30 pm local time, a 2009 Cessna 172, registered N524ND, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Park Rapids, Minnesota (Park Rapids Muni-Konshok Field). 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 the propeller striking the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 2, 2017 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Park Rapids, Minnesota · Park Rapids Muni-Konshok Field · 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 2009 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N524ND · registry record · serial 172S10979
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The director of aviation safety for the flight school reported that the student pilot was on her first solo cross-country flight and that, during the approach to land, the airplane was fast and high. Subsequently, the airplane landed nose low, and the propeller struck the ground. The student did not know the propeller or fuselage had been damaged during the landing and continued the rest of her intended flight without further incident. The next assigned flight crew discovered the damage, and an examination by the maintenance department revealed that the airplane had sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The director of aviation safety reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Miscellaneous/other during landing
- Abnormal runway contact 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: 74 hours in all; 74 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 5 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,292.9 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, November 16, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 5,926 hours total
- Operator: University Of North Dakota
The flight
- Departed from: GFK Grand Forks ND at 2:15 pm
- Destination: PKD Park Rapids MN
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 18, 3,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KPKD
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 13, 2018. 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 Pictures (Courtesy of Flight School) | 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.