Cessna 172 accident near Sand Point, Idaho, April 3, 2021
On April 3, 2021 at about 6:22 pm local time, a 1960 Cessna 172, registered N7616X, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Sand Point, Idaho (Sandpoint airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s improper landing flare which resulted in a hard landing, loss of directional control 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
- April 3, 2021 · about 6:22 pm local time
- Place
- Sand Point, Idaho · Sandpoint · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 B, built 1960 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N7616X · no longer on the register · serial 17248116
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that he was flying his first solo flight and had just performed an uneventful touch-and-go landing. During the second landing flare, the airplane floated along the runway, then landed hard. The airplane then veered left, departed the runway, and nosed over in the adjacent grass area. The fuselage was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Student/instructed pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 38.5 hours in all; 32.4 in this make and model; 10.8 in the last 90 days; 9.9 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,902.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 12, 2021; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,250 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Runway 02/2, 5,501 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 11:15 am from SZT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on September 1, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Maintenance Logbook Excerpts | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photo - Airplane at Accident Site | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Video of Accident - Courtesy of Jamie Dockins | video | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.