On January 5, 2016 about 1235 Central Standard Time, a Cessna 172R, N72AF, impacted terrain while attempting to land at the Sulfur Springs Municipal Airport (SLR), Sulfur Springs, Texas. The solo student pilot on board was not injured and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was owned and operated by American Flyers of California, Incorporated, a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross country flight that was operating on a visual flight rules flight plan. The flight originated at Dallas, Texas, at 1150.

The student pilot reported he was landing at SLR when during touchdown, he lost control of the airplane. The airplane crossed over a grass strip onto a taxiway, crossed the taxiway and impacted in a ditch. The nose wheel stuck in the ditch and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder, left wing strut, cowling, firewall and engine mount. The nose gear was separated at the firewall. An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies to the flight controls, engine or other airplane systems.

At 1235, the reported weather conditions at SLR were wind calm, clear skies, visibility 10 statute miles, temperature 5 degrees Celsius (C), dew point -2 degrees C, and altimeter 30.37 inches of Mercury.