Cessna 172N accident near Winslow, Arizona, November 9, 2003
On November 9, 2003 at about 4:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N75816, was substantially damaged in an accident near Winslow, Arizona (Winslow-Lindbergh Regional 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, which resulted in a pilot induced porpoise oscillation and hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 9, 2003 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Winslow, Arizona · Winslow-Lindbergh Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N75816 · registry record · serial 17267973
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane landed hard and porpoised during the student pilot's solo cross-country flight, which damaged the firewall. The pilot reported that he touched down on the main landing gear and positioned the yoke into the full aft position. The airplane porpoised, and then landed hard. The pilot noted that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane. The pilot felt that the accident could have been prevented if he had applied power after the porpoising began.
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: 48 hours in all; 48 in this make and model; 48 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 Series (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: P52 Cottonwood AZ
- Destination: INW Winslow CA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 011
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.