20121221027529A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172M · Eveleth, MN · December 21, 2012

Date: December 21, 2012 · 09:30 local
Place: Eveleth, MN
Airport: Eveleth-Virginia Municipal
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N9660H
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN13CA112
Reported as: Cessna 172M
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Student
Pilot’s flight hours: 22 total22 in this make and model8 in the last 90 days

N9660HRegistered now · Cessna 172MS/N 17266297 · Built 1975 Airframe modelCessna 172M Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Student pilot was on a solo flight. On his first landing during this solo the aircraft touched down nose wheel first, bounced and came down on the nose wheel again. The aircraft then bounced again and the pilot was able to pull back on the yoke to complete the flare and was able to touch down on the main wheels to complete the landing. Pilot then taxied the aircraft to the ramp and shut down the engine. The nose gear strut was damaged on one of the instances of the nose wheel contacting the runway. The nose gear strut subsequently collapsed and the propeller contacted the runway while the engine was running causing damage to both propeller tips. The firewall received some damage during one or both of the nose gear strikes. The nose wheel assembly also received extensive damage.

As the FAA filed it

STUDENT PILOT WAS ON A SOLO FLIGHT. ON HIS FIRST LANDING DURING THIS SOLO THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN NOSE WHEEL FIRST, BOUNCED AND CAME DOWN ON THE NOSE WHEEL AGAIN. THE AIRCRAFT THEN BOUNCED AGAIN AND THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO PULL BACK ON THE YOKE TO COMPLETE THE FLARE AND WAS ABLE TO TOUCH DOWN ON THE MAIN WHEELS TO COMPLETE THE LANDING. PILOT THEN TAXIED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RAMP AND SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE. THE NOSE GEAR STRUT WAS DAMAGED ON ONE OF THE INSTANCES OF THE NOSE WHEEL CONTACTING THE RUNWAY. THE NOSE GEAR STRUT SUBSEQUENTLY COLLAPSED AND THE PROPELLER CONTACTED THE RUNWAY WHILE THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING CAUSING DAMAGE TO BOTH PROPELLER TIPS. THE FIREWALL RECEIVED SOME DAMAGE DURING ONE OR BOTH OF THE NOSE GEAR STRIKES. THE NOSE WHEEL ASSEMBLY ALSO RECEIVED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN13CA112Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportEveleth, MNThe student pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard nosewheel landing.Dec 21, 2012 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N9660H · 1

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

Incident 20130807015269ILanding: Touchdown · Eveleth, MNDuring landing instructor allowed crosswind to drift aircraft left of runway, prop struck two airport lights.Aug 7, 2013 · Minor damage