What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On November 12, 1999, approximately 1130 mountain standard time, a Cessna 172R, N427ES, operated by great western aviation, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain during landing at Logan-Cache Airport, Logan, Utah. The student pilot, the sole occupant aboard, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a VFR flight plan had been filed for the training flight being conducted under title 14 CFR part 91. The flight originated at pocatello, Idaho, approximately 1030. Preliminary information indicates the pilot was on his first solo cross-country flight. He departed Logan at 0900 and arrived at pocatello without incident at 0950. The accident occurred during landing on the return leg. A pilot-witness following the accident airplane said it appeared the pilot used 30 degrees of flaps, the airplane was too high and too fast, and the approach was quite steep. The witness said he did not see the airplane flare. He then saw the airplane spin around and come to a half facing the opposite direction. The nose landing gear was sheared off, the firewall was buckled, the tailcone was bent, and there were wrinkles in the horizontal stablizer sk in. (-23) final leg of initial solo cross country. Student landed nose-wheel first. A/c went into fore-aft oscillation. Nose-wheel landing gear collapsed and a/c departed the runway. Post accident maintenance inspection revealed damage to the nose wheel landing gear, props, and firewall. No fire.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON NOVEMBER 12, 1999, APPROXIMATELY 1130 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 172R, N427ES, OPERATED BY GREAT WESTERN AVIATION, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN DURING LANDING AT LOGAN-CACHE AIRPORT, LOGAN, UTAH. THE STUDENT PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT ABOARD, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A VFR FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE TRAINING FLIGHT BEING CONDUCTED UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT POCATELLO, IDAHO, APPROXIMATELY 1030. PRELIMINARY INFORMATION INDICATES THE PILOT WAS ON HIS FIRST SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT. HE DEPARTED LOGAN AT 0900 AND ARRIVED AT POCATELLO WITHOUT INCIDENT AT 0950. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING LANDING ON THE RETURN LEG. A PILOT-WITNESS FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE SAID IT APPEARED THE PILOT USED 30 DEGREES OF FLAPS, THE AIRPLANE WAS TOO HIGH AND TOO FAST, AND THE APPROACH WAS QUITE STEEP. THE WITNESS SAID HE DID NOT SEE THE AIRPLANE FLARE. HE THEN SAW THE AIRPLANE SPIN AROUND AND COME TO A HALF FACING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WAS SHEARED OFF, THE FIREWALL WAS BUCKLED, THE TAILCONE WAS BENT, AND THERE WERE WRINKLES IN THE HORIZONTAL STABLIZER SK IN. (-23) FINAL LEG OF INITIAL SOLO CROSS COUNTRY. STUDENT LANDED NOSE-WHEEL FIRST. A/C WENT INTO FORE-AFT OSCILLATION. NOSE-WHEEL LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AND A/C DEPARTED THE RUNWAY. POST ACCIDENT MAINTENANCE INSPECTION REVEALED DAMAGE TO THE NOSE WHEEL LANDING GEAR, PROPS, AND FIREWALL. NO FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.