What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On June 21, 2004 at approximately 1210 local EDT, aircraft N356ES, a Cessna 172R, sustained substantial damage when in encountered a hard landing on runway 20 at Hartford-Brainard (hfd) airport in Hartford, CT. The aircraft was piloted by a solo student pilot holding an endorsement to solo a Cessna 172. Damage to the aircraft consisted of a large crease and dent to the lower left hand engine firewall area, nose landing gear strut assembly misalignment, large crease to the forward lower left hand fuselage area, crack in the rudder lower cap area, and propeller tip damage. Prior to departure, automatic terminal information service (ATIS) information x-ray reported wind from 270 degrees at 06 knots and variable from 200 degrees to 340 degrees. At the time of landing, ATIS yankee was current with wind from 260 degrees at 11 knots gusting to 20 knots. The pilot reported a sudden loss of headwind and decrease in airspeed during the flare, and the aircraft bounced hard onto the runway as power was applied. A go around was executed by the pilot and the second landing was uneventful.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON JUNE 21, 2004 AT APPROXIMATELY 1210 LOCAL EDT, AIRCRAFT N356ES, A CESSNA 172R, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IN ENCOUNTERED A HARD LANDING ON RUNWAY 20 AT HARTFORD-BRAINARD (HFD) AIRPORT IN HARTFORD, CT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS PILOTED BY A SOLO STUDENT PILOT HOLDING AN ENDORSEMENT TO SOLO A CESSNA 172. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT CONSISTED OF A LARGE CREASE AND DENT TO THE LOWER LEFT HAND ENGINE FIREWALL AREA, NOSE LANDING GEAR STRUT ASSEMBLY MISALIGNMENT, LARGE CREASE TO THE FORWARD LOWER LEFT HAND FUSELAGE AREA, CRACK IN THE RUDDER LOWER CAP AREA, AND PROPELLER TIP DAMAGE. PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, AUTOMATIC TERMINAL INFORMATION SERVICE (ATIS) INFORMATION X-RAY REPORTED WIND FROM 270 DEGREES AT 06 KNOTS AND VARIABLE FROM 200 DEGREES TO 340 DEGREES. AT THE TIME OF LANDING, ATIS YANKEE WAS CURRENT WITH WIND FROM 260 DEGREES AT 11 KNOTS GUSTING TO 20 KNOTS. THE PILOT REPORTED A SUDDEN LOSS OF HEADWIND AND DECREASE IN AIRSPEED DURING THE FLARE, AND THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED HARD ONTO THE RUNWAY AS POWER WAS APPLIED. A GO AROUND WAS EXECUTED BY THE PILOT AND THE SECOND LANDING WAS UNEVENTFUL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.