Cessna 172R N5181A

Summary

On 28 August 2025 at about 02:15 local time, a Cessna 172R registered N5181A, operated by Southeastern Oklahoma State University, was involved in an accident near Ardmore, Oklahoma, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 August 2025 at 02:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Ardmore, Oklahoma, United States

Nearest airport

Ardmore Muni (ADM)

Coordinates

34.3035, -97.0161

Aircraft

Cessna 172R

Registration

N5181A

Category

Airplane

Year built

2002

Engines

1

Operator

Southeastern Oklahoma State University

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Durant → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

CEN25LA350

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The purpose of the flight was for the pilot to conduct solo night training to include takeoff and landing practice. The flight school reported that during the landing, the airplane bounced 3 to 4 times on the runway before coming to a stop. As a result of the hard landing, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage. The flight school chief pilot stated that a greater emphasis should have been placed on training for night illusions and that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.