Cessna 172 accident near Kissimmee, Florida, April 13, 2005
On April 13, 2005 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N716SD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kissimmee, Florida (Kissimmee Gateway 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 improper recovery from a bounced landing resulting in a hard landing and damage to the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 13, 2005 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Kissimmee, Florida · Kissimmee Gateway Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N716SD · no longer on the register · serial 172581045
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot stated just prior to landing on runway the airplane began to porpoise. After bouncing on the runway, he felt he had the airplane under control as the wheels settled onto the tarmac. He felt the airplane lean forward followed by the propeller striking the ground. He pulled the mixture to idle and the airplane traveled a few yards before coming to a stop. The pilot stated there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or any of its systems prior to the accident.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 71 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 71 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Textron Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ISM Kissimmee FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 48°F (9°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.