Cessna 172 accident near Cheyenne, Wyoming, April 18, 1996
On April 18, 1996 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N733FF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cheyenne, Wyoming (Cheyenne 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 pilot's improper flare during the landing and improper recovery from the subsequent bounced landing. A factor relating to the accident was: the pilot's failure to maintain the proper approach path during the approach for landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 18, 1996 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Cheyenne, Wyoming · Cheyenne 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
- N733FF · registry record · serial 17268256
- 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 he was practicing touch-and-goes at the airport. One of the approaches was 'steeper than normal,' and the pilot landed 'flat.' The airplane porpoised, and the propeller blades contacted the ground. The pilot then executed a go-around, re-entered the traffic pattern, and landed uneventfully. After the flight, the pilot noticed damage to the propeller blades and alerted the operator. No preimpact mechanical malfunction was reported by the pilot. A detailed inspection of the airplane revealed a wrinkle in the firewall and a bend in the fuselage nose gear support structure.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 650 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 97 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 80 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 6,691 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 13 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°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.