Cessna 172M accident near Tucson, Arizona, March 10, 2002
On March 10, 2002, a Cessna 172M, registered N4410R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tucson, Arizona (Tucson International 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 pilot's misjudged landing flare and improper bounced landing recovery.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 10, 2002
- Place
- Tucson, Arizona · Tucson International Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N4410R · registry record · serial 17263159
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane bounced on landing and entered a porpoise, damaging the firewall. The pilot reported that she flared high. The airplane landed hard and bounced. Instead of aborting the landing, she pulled back on the yoke, and the airplane began to porpoise. The airplane bounced off the nose gear about two more times before stopping.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 91 hours in all; 91 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 3 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,893 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2002; 9.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CGZ Casa Grande AZ at 11:00 pm
- Destination: TUS Tucson AZ
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 11L, 10,996 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 pm from TUS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.