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Atlas / NTSB / MIA98LA095

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event MIA98LA095

1998-03-06 DESTIN, Florida, United States Airport · DTS None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N53456

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

CESSNA 172P

Year of manufacture

1981 · 17 years old at event

Engine

LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)

Seats / Engines

4 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

19810306

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A6C26F

Registrant of record

AMELIA REID AVIATION LLC

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

the pilot's improper flare and improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a hard landing.

Factual narrative

On March 6, 1998, about 1030 central standard time, a Cessna 172P, registered to Miracle Strip Aviation Inc., operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed on landing at the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport, Destin, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The private pilot reported no injuries. The flight originated about 15 minutes before the accident. The pilot stated he flared too high on landing. The airplane touched down and bounced back into the air and landed hard on the nosewheel. Examination of the airplane revealed the firewall was buckled. The pilot stated he flared too high during landing. The airplane touched down and bounced back into the air, then landed hard on the nose wheel, resulting in damage to the firewall. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1998_MIA98LA095.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.