What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 29, 2018, at about 0945 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172R single-engine airplane, N803BW, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing on runway 32 at New Bedford Regional Airport (kewb), New Bedford, Massachusetts. The student pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the instructional flight, which was operated under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 91.
Surveillance video recorded by kewb showed that the airplane bounced upon initial contact with the runway surface. Airplane then pitched down and entered a series of progressively worse pitch oscillations bouncing 3 additional times before settling on the runway and continuing the landing rollout.
According to the student pilot, the approach to the airport was controlled. However, he became fixated on the desired landing spot and described experiencing ?tunnel vision.? Furthermore, the student pilot described failing to initially begin the landing flare due to his fixation on the landing spot. When he did begin to level off the airplane made contact with the runway surface.
The student pilot noticed that taxiing back to the ramp was more difficult (I.e. the airplane was ?shaky?) But had not realized the airplane had sustained damage. According to the student pilot?s certified flight instructor (CFI), who was on the ramp at the time of the student pilot?s return, the nose landing gear tire did not become flat until the airplane turned onto the flight school?s ramp. The CFI went out to the ramp to help the student pilot push back the airplane and it was during this time that the damage to the airplane was first noticed.
Examination of the airplane after the accident revealed that both propeller blade tips exhibited damage consistent with a propeller strike while the engine was making power. The lower skin of the fuselage front section structure assembly was pushed up between the LH and RH bulkhead reinforcement angles. The firewall was found to be buckled above the nose landing gear (NLG) shock strut upper mount bracket and the NLG tire went flat.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 29, 2018, AT ABOUT 0945 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 172R SINGLE-ENGINE AIRPLANE, N803BW, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A HARD LANDING ON RUNWAY 32 AT NEW BEDFORD REGIONAL AIRPORT (KEWB), NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS. THE STUDENT PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, WHICH WAS OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91.
SURVEILLANCE VIDEO RECORDED BY KEWB SHOWED THAT THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED UPON INITIAL CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY SURFACE. AIRPLANE THEN PITCHED DOWN AND ENTERED A SERIES OF PROGRESSIVELY WORSE PITCH OSCILLATIONS BOUNCING 3 ADDITIONAL TIMES BEFORE SETTLING ON THE RUNWAY AND CONTINUING THE LANDING ROLLOUT.
ACCORDING TO THE STUDENT PILOT, THE APPROACH TO THE AIRPORT WAS CONTROLLED. HOWEVER, HE BECAME FIXATED ON THE DESIRED LANDING SPOT AND DESCRIBED EXPERIENCING ?TUNNEL VISION.? FURTHERMORE, THE STUDENT PILOT DESCRIBED FAILING TO INITIALLY BEGIN THE LANDING FLARE DUE TO HIS FIXATION ON THE LANDING SPOT. WHEN HE DID BEGIN TO LEVEL OFF THE AIRPLANE MADE CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY SURFACE.
THE STUDENT PILOT NOTICED THAT TAXIING BACK TO THE RAMP WAS MORE DIFFICULT (I.E. THE AIRPLANE WAS ?SHAKY?) BUT HAD NOT REALIZED THE AIRPLANE HAD SUSTAINED DAMAGE. ACCORDING TO THE STUDENT PILOT?S CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI), WHO WAS ON THE RAMP AT THE TIME OF THE STUDENT PILOT?S RETURN, THE NOSE LANDING GEAR TIRE DID NOT BECOME FLAT UNTIL THE AIRPLANE TURNED ONTO THE FLIGHT SCHOOL?S RAMP. THE CFI WENT OUT TO THE RAMP TO HELP THE STUDENT PILOT PUSH BACK THE AIRPLANE AND IT WAS DURING THIS TIME THAT THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE WAS FIRST NOTICED.
EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE AFTER THE ACCIDENT REVEALED THAT BOTH PROPELLER BLADE TIPS EXHIBITED DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH A PROPELLER STRIKE WHILE THE ENGINE WAS MAKING POWER. THE LOWER SKIN OF THE FUSELAGE FRONT SECTION STRUCTURE ASSEMBLY WAS PUSHED UP BETWEEN THE LH AND RH BULKHEAD REINFORCEMENT ANGLES. THE FIREWALL WAS FOUND TO BE BUCKLED ABOVE THE NOSE LANDING GEAR (NLG) SHOCK STRUT UPPER MOUNT BRACKET AND THE NLG TIRE WENT FLAT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.