# Accident 20080518839329A: Cessna 172M, San Antonio, TX, May 18, 2008

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 18, 2008, 17:30 local time
- Place: San Antonio, TX
- Airport: San Antonio International
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Operator: W78S
- Location: 29.5336° N, 98.4697° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.5336&lon=-98.4697&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1281U, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1281U-2013-08-15) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172M (registry code 2072418, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172m) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172M
- Reported engine: LYC O320*
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Student
- Pilot flight hours: 84 total, 84 in this make and model, 22 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB DFW08CA151](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DFW08CA151) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20080518839329A

## Narrative

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

(-23) DURING A SOLO FLIGHT, N12811U, CE-172M APPROACHED SAT RUNWAY 30R AT A HIGHT ALTITUDE SAT ATC HAD CLEARED N1281U FOR STRAIGHT IN APPROACH TO LAND.  THE STUDENT ELECTED TO REDUCE THROTTLE TO IDLE AND EXTEND FULL FLAPS RESULTING IN A HIGH SINK RATE.  THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD CAUSING DAMAGE AT THE FIREWALL AND WING SPAR.  THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WAS ALSO DAMAGED AS A RESULT OF A BLOWN TIRE.

## 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 DFW08CA151](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DFW08CA151), May 18, 2008: Cessna CE-172M (N1281U), San Antonio, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The student pilots improper short field landing procedure and excessive rate of descent. A contributing factor was the student pilots improper recovery from a bounced landing.

## Other reports on N1281U (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19980815036069I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980815036069I), Aug 15, 1998: Cessna 172M (N1281U), New Braunfels, TX, Minor damage. (-5) On August 15, 1998 at 1400 CDT, aircraft N1281U, a Cessna 172, owned by wright flyers flight school and operated by a student pilot made a hard landing at…

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.
