What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 21, 2017, N739NW a Cessna C-172, made a hard landing resulting in the nose wheel collapsing while landing on runway 23 at the Columbus Municipal Airport (kbak), Columbus, Indiana. The aircraft sustained minor damage to the nose landing gear strut assembly and firewall region. The weather at the time of the landing was visual meteorological conditions (VMC) and the winds were calm. The student pilot was not injured in the incident.
The student stated he was making the first landing of three planned takeoff and landings on his first solo flight when the incident occurred. He stated he flew a normal traffic pattern at 1600 feet MSL, and set up the landing to use 30 degrees of flaps. He said his approach was normal and he was on the proper glide path verified by two white and two red PAPI lights, the speed on final was 60 knots, and flaps selected at 30 degrees. He thought he flared a little high and continued to apply back pressure during the landing. The aircraft ?ballooned? Back into the air after landing on the runway. He continued to apply back pressure in the second flare. The aircraft ?ballooned? Back into the air on the second and third landing. When asked what position he was holding the control yoke during the fourth flare, he thought the control yoke was at neutral or slightly aft. On the fourth touchdown, the aircraft settled on the runway. During the rollout he could not steer the aircraft and only had brakes to control the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 21, 2017, N739NW A CESSNA C-172, MADE A HARD LANDING RESULTING IN THE NOSE WHEEL COLLAPSING WHILE LANDING ON RUNWAY 23 AT THE COLUMBUS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KBAK), COLUMBUS, INDIANA. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE NOSE LANDING GEAR STRUT ASSEMBLY AND FIREWALL REGION. THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE LANDING WAS VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC) AND THE WINDS WERE CALM. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS NOT INJURED IN THE INCIDENT.
THE STUDENT STATED HE WAS MAKING THE FIRST LANDING OF THREE PLANNED TAKEOFF AND LANDINGS ON HIS FIRST SOLO FLIGHT WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. HE STATED HE FLEW A NORMAL TRAFFIC PATTERN AT 1600 FEET MSL, AND SET UP THE LANDING TO USE 30 DEGREES OF FLAPS. HE SAID HIS APPROACH WAS NORMAL AND HE WAS ON THE PROPER GLIDE PATH VERIFIED BY TWO WHITE AND TWO RED PAPI LIGHTS, THE SPEED ON FINAL WAS 60 KNOTS, AND FLAPS SELECTED AT 30 DEGREES. HE THOUGHT HE FLARED A LITTLE HIGH AND CONTINUED TO APPLY BACK PRESSURE DURING THE LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT ?BALLOONED? BACK INTO THE AIR AFTER LANDING ON THE RUNWAY. HE CONTINUED TO APPLY BACK PRESSURE IN THE SECOND FLARE. THE AIRCRAFT ?BALLOONED? BACK INTO THE AIR ON THE SECOND AND THIRD LANDING. WHEN ASKED WHAT POSITION HE WAS HOLDING THE CONTROL YOKE DURING THE FOURTH FLARE, HE THOUGHT THE CONTROL YOKE WAS AT NEUTRAL OR SLIGHTLY AFT. ON THE FOURTH TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED ON THE RUNWAY. DURING THE ROLLOUT HE COULD NOT STEER THE AIRCRAFT AND ONLY HAD BRAKES TO CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT.
Other reports on N739NW · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.