Cessna 172P accident near Hialeah, Florida, December 16, 2005
On December 16, 2005 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N51434, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hialeah, Florida (Opa-Locka West Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the CFI to perform a go-around following a long landing resulting in overrun, on ground encounter with soft terrain, and subsequent nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 16, 2005 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hialeah, Florida · Opa-Locka West Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N51434 · no longer on the register · serial 17274311
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certified flight instructor (CFI) stated that after takeoff the student performed airwork then the flight proceeded to the Opa-Locka West Airport where the student performed 1 touch-and-go landing. The flight departed following the landing, remained in the traffic pattern and the CFI took the controls to demonstrate a soft field landing. The CFI later reported that while on final approach with full flaps extended, the flight was fast and floated down the runway. The airplane landed approximately within the 2nd third of the runway and he applied the brakes which locked up. Unable to stop the airplane it traveled off the end of the runway onto grass and nosed over. The CFI further stated there was no failure or malfunction of the airplane or its systems. Postaccident examination of the accident site by the operator revealed water covered grass and soft terrain beyond the departure end of the runway.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 775 hours in all; 247 in this make and model; 115 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 67 hours in all; 24 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KHWO Pembroke Pines FL
- Destination: X46 Hialeah FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 5:28 pm from KOPF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.