Cessna 172N accident near Miami, Florida, May 1, 2006
On May 1, 2006 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N738DW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Miami, Florida (Kendall-Tamiami Executive airport). It was a personal 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 improper flare by the pilot resulting in a hard landing and substantial 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 1, 2006 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Miami, Florida · Kendall-Tamiami Executive · 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
- N738DW · no longer on the register · serial 17269905
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that approximately 20 minutes after takeoff he radioed the Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport Air Traffic Control Tower and requested touch-and-go landings. He reported having difficulty with the aircraft's radio and was cleared for a full stop landing on runway 9R. He further reported,''...the landing seemed normal; the main wheels touch down, but then as I noticed the yoke not releasing from the flare, the aircraft starts to balloon, I add a little power and attempt to land but the yoke was stiff." The airplane ballooned "...a couple of times, hitting the ground hard until I finally stopped." He taxied the airplane to the ramp and secured it where he again noticed the elevator control still stiff. Postaccident examination of the airplane by an airframe and powerplant mechanic revealed impact damage to the firewall, and the control yoke was displaced up and was in contact with an instrument panel support bracket. Examination of the elevator flight control system revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 79 hours in all; 71 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Adf Airways Corporation
The flight
- Departed from: KTMB Miami FL
- Destination: KTMB Miami FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9R
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.