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20170126004229A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 172R · Clearwater, FL · January 26, 2017

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
January 26, 2017 · 12:30 local
Place
Clearwater, FL
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2382R
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA17LA095
Reported as
Cessna 172R
Reported engine
Lycoming I0360 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
450 total300 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days
N2382RRegistered now · Cessna 172RS/N 17280700 · Built 1999Airframe modelCessna 172REngine modelLycoming I0360 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.

Pilot rented the aircraft at clw for recreational flight. Flew aircraft for approx. 30 minutes returning to field because he stated that he saw approaching adverse weather. Pilot states that he had a gust of wind cause the aircraft to rise, so he initiated an un-eventful go-around. Pilots stated his second attempt at landing went smoothly with no issues. Soft landing on the numbers with no issues on rollout or taxi. Pilot states he parked the aircraft and tied it down without noting any issues or discrepancies on the aircraft except for a jammed pilots seat belt, which he squawked to the rental company. When mechanics arrived at the aircraft to work the seat belt squawk, they noticed the prop had damaged tips from a prop strike. The mechanics grounded the aircraft and pulled the engine cowling and noted that the firewall had suffered damage consistent with a hard landing. The rental company/aircraft owner notified the FAA of the incident/damage the next day. Inspection by the FAA found the damage to the firewall to be structural in nature making the incident an accident. The damage consistent with a prop strike and hard landing happened at some point during the pilots rental and operation of the aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT RENTED THE AIRCRAFT AT CLW FOR RECREATIONAL FLIGHT. FLEW AIRCRAFT FOR APPROX. 30 MINUTES RETURNING TO FIELD BECAUSE HE STATED THAT HE SAW APPROACHING ADVERSE WEATHER. PILOT STATES THAT HE HAD A GUST OF WIND CAUSE THE AIRCRAFT TO RISE, SO HE INITIATED AN UN-EVENTFUL GO-AROUND. PILOTS STATED HIS SECOND ATTEMPT AT LANDING WENT SMOOTHLY WITH NO ISSUES. SOFT LANDING ON THE NUMBERS WITH NO ISSUES ON ROLLOUT OR TAXI. PILOT STATES HE PARKED THE AIRCRAFT AND TIED IT DOWN WITHOUT NOTING ANY ISSUES OR DISCREPANCIES ON THE AIRCRAFT EXCEPT FOR A JAMMED PILOTS SEAT BELT, WHICH HE SQUAWKED TO THE RENTAL COMPANY. WHEN MECHANICS ARRIVED AT THE AIRCRAFT TO WORK THE SEAT BELT SQUAWK, THEY NOTICED THE PROP HAD DAMAGED TIPS FROM A PROP STRIKE. THE MECHANICS GROUNDED THE AIRCRAFT AND PULLED THE ENGINE COWLING AND NOTED THAT THE FIREWALL HAD SUFFERED DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH A HARD LANDING. THE RENTAL COMPANY/AIRCRAFT OWNER NOTIFIED THE FAA OF THE INCIDENT/DAMAGE THE NEXT DAY. INSPECTION BY THE FAA FOUND THE DAMAGE TO THE FIREWALL TO BE STRUCTURAL IN NATURE MAKING THE INCIDENT AN ACCIDENT. THE DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH A PROP STRIKE AND HARD LANDING HAPPENED AT SOME POINT DURING THE PILOTS RENTAL AND OPERATION OF THE AIRCRAFT.

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 ERA17LA095Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportClearwater, FLThe pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in damage to the engine firewall.Jan 26, 2017 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N2382R · 1

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

Accident 20090317011339ALanding · Lafayette, IN(-23) The pilot was attempting his first landing of the afternoon on runway 23. During the flare, the pilot experienced a gust of wind that displaced the aircraft off the center of the runway. The pilot added power to straighten the aircraft back out, but the…Mar 17, 2009 · Substantial damage