Cessna 172 accident near Palo Alto, California, April 30, 2018
On April 30, 2018 at about 2:40 am local time, a 2011 Cessna 172, registered N254EK, was substantially damaged in an accident near Palo Alto, California (Palo Alto airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made September 29, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 30, 2018 · about 2:40 am local time
- Place
- Palo Alto, California · Palo Alto · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 S, built 2011 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N254EK · registry record · serial 172S11119
- 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 short final, he noticed "a sudden lack of wind," and the airplane began to descend. He added that the airplane landed hard and bounced multiple times. He taxied back to the parking ramp without further incident. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane rental company owner reported that the pilot did not notify any personnel of the hard, bounded landing. He added that, during a later flight, the airplane owner noticed a vibration and landed to examine the airplane. Postflight examination revealed propeller damage and substantial damage to the fuselage.
The NTSB's narratives can run to many pages; this is the opening. Read the full report at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database and is rewritten in plain English only where the NTSB used codes; the probable cause and narrative are the NTSB's own words. 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 GAA18CA294.