Cessna 172 accident near Orlando, Florida, May 29, 2018
On May 29, 2018 at about 5:00 pm local time, a 2000 Cessna 172, registered N497SJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Orlando, Florida (Kissimmee Gateway airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced, hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 29, 2018 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Orlando, Florida · Kissimmee Gateway · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 S, built 2000 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N497SJ · registry record · serial 172S8497
- 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, after it "touched down[,] the airplane bounced a couple times" and then landed hard. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot 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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing 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 › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 110 hours in all; 40 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 63 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 5, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-B1E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FXE Fort Lauderdale FL at 5:00 pm
- Destination: ISM Orlando FL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 24, 5,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,900 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 pm from KISM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 17, 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 Picture | 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.
Other NTSB records under N497SJ 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.