What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Buster waters, a student pilot, arrived at Gadsden airport, gad, at approximately 1255 CDT on August 21, 2001, in N764SP, a Cessna CE-172-S, that departed earlier that morning from bessemer airport, eky. The purpose of the flight was to attain the aeronautical experience requirements 14 CFR 61.109 (a) relating to solo cross country. The student pilot said that he entered the traffic pattern and turned on final approach for runway 36 and that everything was proceeding normally. He then stated that he was at 65 knots (manufacturer's recommended approach speed) on final approach and was at approximately 10 to 12 feet in the air when he initiated his round out. The airplane dropped suddenly to the runway resulting in a hard landing. Mr. Waters was very disappointed with his performance and decided to do another landing. He knew he had landed hard but did not think he had damaged the aircraft. After landing again, he taxied the aircraft to parking and discovered the damage. He notified the FBO where he rented the aircraft but did not report the accident until two days later and then erroneously reported it as an incident. Aircraft was already moved to eky and FAA was notified. (.19) on August 21, 2001, about 1400 central daylight time, a Cessna C-172S, N764SP, owned by c & s aviation inc and operated by a private individual, operating as a title 14 CFR part 91 instructional flight impacted the runway at Gadsden airport, Gadsden, Alabama. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged. The student pilot reported no injuries. The airplane departed Gadsden at an unknown time on a round trip solo cross-country flight. The pilot was completing his solo cross-country flight and landing at his home airport when the airplane landed hard, and the nosewheel broke off. The accident was originally reported as minor damage and changed to an accident on September 4, 2001. (.4) on August 21, 2001, about 1400 central daylight time, a Cessna C-172S, N764SP, owned by c & s aviation inc and operated by bessemer aviation inc., operating as a title 14 CFR part 91 instructional flight impacted the runway at Gadsden airport, Gadsden, Alabama. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A visual flight rules flight plan was filed. The airplane was su bstantially damaged. The student pilot reported no injuries. The airplane departed Gadsden at 1315, on a round trip solo cross-country flight. According to the pilot's statement he was on approach to runway 36, at the conclusion of a solo cross-country flight. He said that when he had the "runway made," he reduced power, maintained airspeed, and at "10 to 12 feet" above the runway he began the flare. He said the main landing gear hit "hard" and the airplane " hit hard on [the] nose wheel."
As the FAA filed it
(-23) BUSTER WATERS, A STUDENT PILOT, ARRIVED AT GADSDEN AIRPORT, GAD, AT APPROXIMATELY 1255 CDT ON AUGUST 21, 2001, IN N764SP, A CESSNA CE-172-S, THAT DEPARTED EARLIER THAT MORNING FROM BESSEMER AIRPORT, EKY. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO ATTAIN THE AERONAUTICAL EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS 14 CFR 61.109 (A) RELATING TO SOLO CROSS COUNTRY. THE STUDENT PILOT SAID THAT HE ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AND TURNED ON FINAL APPROACH FOR RUNWAY 36 AND THAT EVERYTHING WAS PROCEEDING NORMALLY. HE THEN STATED THAT HE WAS AT 65 KNOTS (MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDED APPROACH SPEED) ON FINAL APPROACH AND WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 10 TO 12 FEET IN THE AIR WHEN HE INITIATED HIS ROUND OUT. THE AIRPLANE DROPPED SUDDENLY TO THE RUNWAY RESULTING IN A HARD LANDING. MR. WATERS WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH HIS PERFORMANCE AND DECIDED TO DO ANOTHER LANDING. HE KNEW HE HAD LANDED HARD BUT DID NOT THINK HE HAD DAMAGED THE AIRCRAFT. AFTER LANDING AGAIN, HE TAXIED THE AIRCRAFT TO PARKING AND DISCOVERED THE DAMAGE. HE NOTIFIED THE FBO WHERE HE RENTED THE AIRCRAFT BUT DID NOT REPORT THE ACCIDENT UNTIL TWO DAYS LATER AND THEN ERRONEOUSLY REPORTED IT AS AN INCIDENT. AIRCRAFT WAS ALREADY MOVED TO EKY AND FAA WAS NOTIFIED. (.19) ON AUGUST 21, 2001, ABOUT 1400 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA C-172S, N764SP, OWNED BY C & S AVIATION INC AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, OPERATING AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT IMPACTED THE RUNWAY AT GADSDEN AIRPORT, GADSDEN, ALABAMA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE STUDENT PILOT REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED GADSDEN AT AN UNKNOWN TIME ON A ROUND TRIP SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT. THE PILOT WAS COMPLETING HIS SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT AND LANDING AT HIS HOME AIRPORT WHEN THE AIRPLANE LANDED HARD, AND THE NOSEWHEEL BROKE OFF. THE ACCIDENT WAS ORIGINALLY REPORTED AS MINOR DAMAGE AND CHANGED TO AN ACCIDENT ON SEPTEMBER 4, 2001. (.4) ON AUGUST 21, 2001, ABOUT 1400 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA C-172S, N764SP, OWNED BY C & S AVIATION INC AND OPERATED BY BESSEMER AVIATION INC., OPERATING AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT IMPACTED THE RUNWAY AT GADSDEN AIRPORT, GADSDEN, ALABAMA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS SU BSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE STUDENT PILOT REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED GADSDEN AT 1315, ON A ROUND TRIP SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S STATEMENT HE WAS ON APPROACH TO RUNWAY 36, AT THE CONCLUSION OF A SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT. HE SAID THAT WHEN HE HAD THE "RUNWAY MADE," HE REDUCED POWER, MAINTAINED AIRSPEED, AND AT "10 TO 12 FEET" ABOVE THE RUNWAY HE BEGAN THE FLARE. HE SAID THE MAIN LANDING GEAR HIT "HARD" AND THE AIRPLANE " HIT HARD ON [THE] NOSE WHEEL."
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N764SP · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.