Cessna 172 accident near Miami, Florida, January 19, 2019
On January 19, 2019 at about 3:00 pm local time, a 1977 Cessna 172, registered N734AY, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Miami, Florida (Miami 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 failure to control the airplane's speed and direction during the approach, which resulted in landing long, a runway excursion, and impact with a windsock.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 19, 2019 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Miami, Florida · Miami Executive · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 N, built 1977 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N734AY · registry record · serial 17268713
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that, during a solo cross-country flight, she landed with a crosswind from the right without flaps. During landing, the airplane's airspeed was fast, so she aborted the landing. However, her airplane was "very close" to another airplane in front of her and that pilot had also aborted their landing. She decided to continue the landing but landed long. She then tried to exit the runway at the last available intersection, but the airplane ran off the left side of the runway, and the left wing impacted a windsock. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
- Landing area overshoot during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wind sock › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 92.5 hours in all; 92.5 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 5,812 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TMB Miami FL at 12:30 pm
- Destination: PGD Punta Gorda FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09R, 6,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 13 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from KTMB
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 July 11, 2019. 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 | Photo | 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.
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.