Cessna 172N N734SW

Summary

On 8 August 2025 at about 15:04 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N734SW, operated by Red Eagle Aviation, was involved in an accident near Ronan, Montana, 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

8 August 2025 at 15:04

Classification

Accident

Location

Ronan, Montana, United States

Nearest airport

Ronan (7S0)

Coordinates

47.5663, -114.1007

Aircraft

Cessna 172N

Registration

N734SW

Category

Airplane

Year built

1977

Engines

1

Operator

Red Eagle Aviation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Kalispell → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR25LA243

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot's inadequate landing flare and recovery from a 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 student pilot to perform a solo cross-country and land at the accident airport. The student pilot stated that following a stabilized approach, he did not properly maneuver the airplane into a flare. The airplane touched down hard on the runway surface and bounced back into the air. The airplane then touched down again and then bounced multiple times, porpoising along the runway. As a result of the impact, the airplane incurred damage to the firewall. The student pilot noted that he failed to add engine power to correct the self-induced oscillation. He stated that there were no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.