Cessna 172P accident near Tucson, Arizona, May 8, 2021
On May 8, 2021 at about 5:27 pm local time, a 1981 Cessna 172P, registered N54140, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Tucson, Arizona (Ryan Fld 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 pitch control and landing flare, which resulted in a hard bounce and subsequent porpoised landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 8, 2021 · about 5:27 pm local time
- Place
- Tucson, Arizona · Ryan Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P, built 1981 · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N54140 · no longer on the register · serial 17274887
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that during a supervised solo training flight, he was instructed to remain within the airport traffic pattern and perform three full stop takeoffs and landings. During the second landing, the airplane porpoised and veered left, so he aborted the landing and initiated a go-around. The student’s flight instructor observed the solo flight and recalled that the wind was light and variable. He reported that during the student’s third landing, the airplane floated for several seconds before the nose dropped and the airplane landed hard. Subsequently, the airplane bounced, a porpoise ensued, and a propeller strike occurred. The airplane remained on the runway and the student pilot taxied to the parking area. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage forward bulkheads and stringers. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident 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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Incorrect use/operation
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Student/instructed pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 50.6 hours in all; 50.6 in this make and model; 17.5 in the last 90 days; 9.5 in the last 30 days; 6.3 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,103.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 2, 2021; 11.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 1,899 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 06L/, 4,900 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 am from KRYN, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KRYN 081645Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 28/M07 A2995
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on August 3, 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 | Cfi/witness Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photograph | PDF, 1 page | 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.