# Accident 19991007040429A: Cessna 172P, Torrance, CA, October 7, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 7, 1999, 18:20 local time
- Place: Torrance, CA
- Airport: Torrance Municipal Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.8004° N, 118.3499° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.8004&lon=-118.3499&mi=10
- Aircraft: N123FR (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172P
- Reported engine: LYC O320D2J
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 180 total, 180 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX00LA012](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA012) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19991007040429A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) PILOT WAS HIGH AND FAST ON APPROACH TO 29L, FLARED AND PORPOISED, HIT TAIL, THEN LANDED HARD ON NOSE WHEEL. INITIATED GO-AROUND, REPEATED SAME THING ON SECOND ATTEMPT.  ATCT ASKED IF ASSISTANCE WAS NECESSARY, PILOT TOLD THEM THAT NOSE WHEEL MIGHT BE FLAT, SO TOWER DISPATCHED FIRE TRUCKS.  ON THIRD ATTEMPT PILOT LANDED ON RUNWAY 29R AND TAXIIED TO PARKING.           (.4) ON OCTOBER 7, 1999, AT 1820 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 172P, N123FR, LANDED HARD AND COLLAPSED THE NOSE GEAR AT THE TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA, AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE, OPERATED BY SOUTH BAY AVIATION OF TORRANCE AND RENTED BY THE PILOT, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE LOCAL PERSONAL FLIGHT, CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91, ORIGINATED FROM TORRANCE AT 1730. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER AT TORRANCE REPORTED THAT THE PILOT HAD MADE TWO TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS TO RUNWAY 29L, AND HAD PORPOISED ON EACH LANDING. DURING THE THIRD TRAFFIC PATTERN, THE CONTROLLER ASKED THE PILOT IF HE NEEDED ASSISTANCE AND THE PILOT INFORMED HIM THAT HE THOUGHT HIS NOSE WHEEL MIGHT BE FLAT. THE C ONTROLLER CONTACTED THE AIRPORT EMERGENCY SERVICES AND A FIRE TRUCK WAS DISPATCHED TO THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT WHERE THE FIREWALL WAS FOUND DAMAGED. THE PILOT RETURNED TO JAPAN FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT. HE PROVIDED A WRITTEN STATEMENT IN JAPANESE, WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY TRANSLATED. IN THE STATEMENT, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT ON FINAL APPROACH HE REALIZED THAT HE WAS TOO HIGH AND FAST, BUT CONTINUED THE APPROACH. WHEN HE BEGAN THE LANDING FLARE, THE AIRCRAFT'S TAIL HIT THE RUNWAY. THE NOSE OF AIRCRAFT THEN HIT THE RUNWAY HARD. THE PILOT PERFORMED A GO-AROUND. HE MADE A FULL-STOP LANDING, AND THEN TAXIED TO THE FLIGHT SCHOOL. A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR FROM THE LONG BEACH FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE EXAMINED THE AIRPLANE AND REPORTED THAT THE FIREWALL WAS DENTED IN AT LEAST 1/2-INCH AT THE NOSE GEAR ATTACHMENT POINT AND THE TAIL TIE DOWN HOOK WAS FLATTENED.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX00LA012](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA012), Oct 8, 1999: Cessna 172P (N123FR), Torrance, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's excessive airspeed on final approach and his misjudged flare, which resulted in a uncontrolled porpoise and hard landing.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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