# Accident 20180311002249A: Cessna 172R, Bedford, MA, March 11, 2018 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: March 11, 2018, 12:30 local time - Place: Bedford, MA - Airport: Laurence G Hanscom Airfield - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 42.4703° N, 71.2897° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.4703&lon=-71.2897&mi=10 - Aircraft: N249FS, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N249FS) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 172R (registry code 2072401, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172r) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (registry code 41597, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-360-l2a) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172R - Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-360-L2A - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 250 total, 247 in this make and model, 8 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB GAA18CA163](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA18CA163) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180311002249A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. PILOT'S DESCRIPTION OF SEQUENCE OF EVENTS DURING LANDING AND TOUCHDOWN: INBOUND FOR LANDING ON RY29 AT KBED ~1230 EDT AFTER ~1 HOUR 40 MIN ORIGINATING FROM KBED. ON SHORT FINAL, EXPERIENCED TURBULENCE AND WIND SHEAR DOWN FROM 300 FEET AGL. 20 DEG FLAPS. APPROACH SPEED 65 KNOTS. (FROM MEMORY), THE WIND CHECK WHEN I WAS ON SHORT FINAL TO RY29 (~1636Z) WAS 340(MAGNETIC) 6 GUSTING 18. WEATHER WAS VERY GOOD VMC. CROSSED THRESHOLD AND TOUCHED DOWN 100 - 150 FEET AFTER THE NUMBERS. PILOT'S STATEMENT PROVIDED POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION: IT FELT LIKE I LANDED HEAVILY ON THE NOSE WHEEL. I BELIEVE THAT THE COMBINATION OF THE TURBULENCE JUST BEFORE TOUCH DOWN AND NOT ENOUGH FLARE CONTRIBUTED TO THE HARD LANDING ON THE NOSEWHEEL. NOTE: UPON EXITING RUNWAY THE AIRCRAFT TAXIED TO WEST RAMP, THE PILOT UPON POSTFLIGHT AFTER MOORING AIRCRAFT ON TIEDOWN SPOT, DID NOT NOTICE AIRCRAFT DAMAGE. AIRCRAFT DAMAGE WAS REPORTED BY THE RENTAL AGENCY AT 15:21 AS A PROP-STRIKE. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION THE FOLLOWING DAY REVEALED ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WHICH RESULTED IN THE CONTINUED INVESTIGATION AND THE UPGRADING OF THE REPORTED PROP-STRIKE OCCURRENCE TO AN ACCIDENT BASED ON THE FOLLOWING: THE AIRCRAFT PROPELLER SHOWED EVIDENCE OF CONTACTING THE RUNWAY SURFACE UNDER POWER, ALBEIT BRIEFLY AS DAMAGE TO THE TIP OF ONE BLADE WAS CONFINED TO APPROXIMATELY 2MM OF THE TIP AND CURLING OF THE OPPOSITE BLADE OF APPROXIMATELY 30MM. THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WAS COMPRESSED AND APPEARED TO BE SLIGHTLY OFF-CENTER TO THE LEFT APPROXIMATELY 2 DEGREES FROM CENTER. THE FIREWALL AT THE ATTACHMENT POINT FOR THE NOSE GEAR SUPPORT FITTING WAS NOTED TO BE FORCED UPWARD AND REWARD BY EVIDENCE OF BUCKLING ON THE LEFT, RIGHT AND UPPER SURFACES ADJACENT TO SUPPORT FITTING. THERE WERE SEVERAL SHEARED RIVETS ASSOCIATED WITH THE BUCKLED FIREWALL. THE LOWER SURFACE OF THE FUSELAGE DIRECTLY AFT OF THE NOSE GEAR ATTACHMENT SHOWED SIGNS OF BUCKLING BETWEEN THE LONGERONS AND FRAMES AFT APPROXIMATELY 1METER TO THE JUNCTION OF THE WING LIFT STRUT ATTACH POINTS. THE AIRCRAFT SKIN SHOWED SEPARATION BETWEEN OVERLAPPING SURFACES AND EVIDENCE OF CRACKING ON THE LEFT SIDE. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB GAA18CA163](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA18CA163), Mar 11, 2018: Cessna 172 (N249FS), Bedford, MA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in substantial damage. ## Other reports on N249FS (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20070813018979A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070813018979A), Aug 13, 2007: Cessna 172R (N249FS), Fort Collins/L, CO, Substantial damage. (-23) On August 13, 2007 at approximately 0945 MDT, N249FS, a Cessna model 172R experienced a hard landing on the nose wheel at Loveland ft. Collins airport… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.