Cessna 172R accident near Daytona Beach, Florida, May 20, 2005
On May 20, 2005 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172R, registered N864CP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Daytona Beach, Florida (Daytona Beach 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 student pilot's improper landing flare and the CFI's inadequate supervision 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
- May 20, 2005 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Daytona Beach, Florida · Daytona Beach International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172R · all 172Rs on the register
- Registration
- N864CP · registry record · serial 17280594
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the student and the flight instructor, the student was performing his second supervised solo flight, and his first attempt at landing resulted in a the airplane impacting the runway hard, and porpoising. After landing, an examination of the airplane revealed that the floorboard, and firewall had buckled. Both the flight instructor and student stated that prior to the accident there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or any of its systems.
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: 54 hours in all; 54 in this make and model; 47 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,652.3 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 1, 2005; 14.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,457 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Phoenix East Aviation Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: KDAB Daytona Beach FL at 1:20 pm
- Destination: KDAB Daytona Beach FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7R, 3,195 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,800 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KDAB
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.
Other NTSB records under N864CP 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.