20161111023579I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 172S · Morristown, NJ · November 11, 2016

Date: November 11, 2016 · 11:55 local
Place: Morristown, NJ
Airport: Morristown
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N792MD
Reported as: Cessna 172S
Reported engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 223 total219 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days

N792MDRegistered now · Cessna 172SS/N 172S9750 · Built 2004 Airframe modelCessna 172S Engine modelLycoming IO-360-L2AReciprocating

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.

N792MD, a Cessna 172, struck the tail upon landing on runway 31, at the Morristown Airport. After it taxied back to the tie down area the pilot reported losing the tail tie down ring on landing to the tower.

The pilot stated he felt like there was windshear on landing andthe indicated airspeed dropped to zero just before touchdown. The aircraft landed hard enough to rattle his teeth with the tail of the aircraft and the tie down hitting the runway. The aircraft was taxied back to the parking area when he noticed a hole in rudder lower cap and the tail tie down was missing. The pilot then called and informed the mmu tower of missing tail tie down.

Inspection of the aircraft by the FAA revealed a hole in the rudder lower cap, missing tail tie down, and worn skin by the tie down area from scraping on runway.

Cessna repair station is inspecting aircraft to verify no substantial damage. If substantial damage is found an amendment to this report will be made.

As the FAA filed it

N792MD, A CESSNA 172, STRUCK THE TAIL UPON LANDING ON RUNWAY 31, AT THE MORRISTOWN AIRPORT. AFTER IT TAXIED BACK TO THE TIE DOWN AREA THE PILOT REPORTED LOSING THE TAIL TIE DOWN RING ON LANDING TO THE TOWER.

THE PILOT STATED HE FELT LIKE THERE WAS WINDSHEAR ON LANDING ANDTHE INDICATED AIRSPEED DROPPED TO ZERO JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD ENOUGH TO RATTLE HIS TEETH WITH THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND THE TIE DOWN HITTING THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TAXIED BACK TO THE PARKING AREA WHEN HE NOTICED A HOLE IN RUDDER LOWER CAP AND THE TAIL TIE DOWN WAS MISSING. THE PILOT THEN CALLED AND INFORMED THE MMU TOWER OF MISSING TAIL TIE DOWN.

INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT BY THE FAA REVEALED A HOLE IN THE RUDDER LOWER CAP, MISSING TAIL TIE DOWN, AND WORN SKIN BY THE TIE DOWN AREA FROM SCRAPING ON RUNWAY.

CESSNA REPAIR STATION IS INSPECTING AIRCRAFT TO VERIFY NO SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. IF SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE IS FOUND AN AMENDMENT TO THIS REPORT WILL BE MADE.