Cessna 177 accident near Cottonwood, Arizona, March 15, 2026
On March 15, 2026 at about 3:00 pm local time, a 1970 Cessna 177, registered N178DR, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Cottonwood, Arizona (Cottonwood 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 15, 2026 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Cottonwood, Arizona · Cottonwood · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 B, built 1970 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N178DR · registry record · serial 17701575
- 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 she was performing solo take-offs and landings. On the first landing attempt, the airplane bounced and the student then aborted the landing and re-entered the traffic pattern. On the next landing attempt, the airplane touched down on the nose landing gear. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and the fuselage side skins. The 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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 166 hours in all; 132 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 3 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,827 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 10, 2026; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1F6 (piston); 3,827 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14/3, 4,250 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 am from P52
Weather report (METAR): KSEZ 151455Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM (report uses pilot's wx data)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR26LA128.