# Incident 20171221023369I: Cessna 172N, Columbus, IN, December 21, 2017

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 21, 2017, 10:34 local time
- Place: Columbus, IN
- Airport: Columbus Municipal
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.2619° N, 85.8963° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at COLUMBUS MUNI (BAK), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.2619&lon=-85.8963&mi=10
- Aircraft: N739NW, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N739NW) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172N (registry code 2072434, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172n) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172N
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Student
- Pilot flight hours: 25 total, 16 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20171221023369I

## Narrative

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

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.

- [Accident 20030627028939A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030627028939A), Jun 27, 2003: Cessna 172N (N739NW), Romeo, MI, Substantial damage. (-23) Cessna N739NW landed on runway 27 at Romeo state airport. The aircraft went off the right side of the runway. The right wing of N739NW struck the tail of…

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.

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