Cessna 172 accident near Lakeland, Florida, March 7, 2018
On March 7, 2018 at about 2:30 pm local time, a 1998 Cessna 172, registered N2221R, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Lakeland, Florida (Lakeland Linder 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 student pilot’s improper landing flare in gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 7, 2018 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lakeland, Florida · Lakeland Linder Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 R, built 1998 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N2221R · registry record · serial 17280681
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo student pilot reported that, during the approach, the "winds got very powerful," He added that the winds were "too strong and out of [his] capacity and personal minimums." During the landing, the airplane landed flat and bounced twice. He then taxied to park without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system about 2 nautical miles from the accident site reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 340° at 9 knots, gusting to 15 knots. The student pilot landed on runway 27.
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
- Other weather encounter during approach (VFR pattern final)
- 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
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 69.5 hours in all; 69.5 in this make and model; 43.9 in the last 90 days; 37.2 in the last 30 days; 7.5 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,326.2 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 5, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,457 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 11,646 hours total
- Operator: International Aero Academy
The flight
- Departed from: LAL Lakeland FL at 1:50 pm
- Destination: LAL Lakeland FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 8,499 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 9 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 2:49 pm from KLAL, 2 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 April 19, 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 | 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.
Other NTSB records under N2221R the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.