20220828015999A

ON 08/28/2022 AT APPROXIMATELY 1345 EDT A CESSNA 172I, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ EXPERIENCED A HARD LANDING DURING A LOW PASS OVER A PRIVATE GRASS RUNWAY, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THAT RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.

THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM FITCH H BEACH AIRPORT (FPK) CHARLOTTE, MICHIGAN AND WAS CONDUCTED IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THE PILOT IN COMMAND WAS OPERATING THE AIRCRAFT WITH A STUDENT PILOT CERTIFICATE. THE PILOT STATED THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO PERFORM A ?LOW PASS? OVER THE PRIVATE GRASS RUNWAY AND DROP A BAG OF CONFETTI FOR A ?GENDER REVEAL.? THE PILOT STATED HE PERFORMED A PREFLIGHT INSPECTIONS AND GROUND RUNS PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT AND HE DID NOT NOTE ANY ABNORMALITIES. THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF FROM FPK AND FLEW APPROXIMATELY SEVEN MILES SOUTHWEST TO THE PRIVATE GRASS RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING TO THE WEST DURING THE ?LOW PASS? OVER THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT STATED HE PULLED THE CARBURETOR HEAT ABOUT A MILE FROM THE GRASS RUNWAY FOR ?ROUGHLY 10 SECONDS? AND THEN ?PUSHED IT BACK IN.? THE PILOT STATED HE ADDED FLAPS AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS SLOWING TO APPROXIMATELY 80 MPH. AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 80 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL WHILE APPROACHING THE TREES TO THE EAST OF THE GRASS RUNWAY. DURING THE ?LOW PASS? THE PILOT STATED HE PUSHED THE THROTTLE FORWARD THEN HE BECAME OCCUPIED WITH HAVING AN OPEN WINDOW, MANAGING THE CONTROLS, AND DROPPING THE CONFETTI. IMMEDIATELY AFTER DROPPING THE CONFETTI, THE PILOT STATED HE NOTICED THE ENGINE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE ?REVVING? AND THE POWER FELT ?LIKE IT WAS AT IDLE.? THE PILOT STATED HE TRIED TO PREVENT A STALL BY PUSHING FORWARD ON THE YOKE, BUT THE AIRCRAFT ?STILL FELT LIKE IT WAS STILL BEING SHOVED DOWN.? THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND AND SHEARED OF THE NOSE WHEEL ASSEMBLY. THE PILOT STATED HE PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE BECAUSE HE REALIZED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS SKIDDING THE GROUND. THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE GROUND SEVERAL TIMES AND THE NOSE STRUT DUG INTO THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT THEN FLIPPED OVER THE NOSE AND LANDING ON THE WINGS OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH WHEELS UP. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP UPSIDE DOWN WITH THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT FACING THE EAST. THE PILOT STATED HE TURNED OF FUEL, AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS, AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT.

DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT IS AS FOLLOWS: THE NOSE WHEEL ASSEMBLY AND SHOCK STRUT WAS SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE ENGINE WAS PARTIALLY SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. PROPELLER WAS DAMAGED AND THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING DURING THE IMPACT NOTING PROBABLE INTERNAL ENGINE DAMAGE. THE LEFT WING SUPPORT WAS BENT. THE WINGS, FIREWALL, AND TAIL CONE SHOWED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. VARIOUS SECTIONS OF AIRCRAFT SKIN SHOWED DAMAGE. THE UPPER VERTICAL SECTION OF THE RUDDER AND EMPENNAGE HAVE DAMAGE.

THE NTSB INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE ON 09/08/2022 WAS OBSERVED BY INSPECTORS^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND PERFORMED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE INSPECTION CONSISTED OF INSPECTING VARIOUS SYSTEMS AND COMPONENTS RELATED TO FUEL, IGNITION, AND ENGINE CONDITIONS. NO ABNORMALITIES THAT MAY HAVE SUBSTANTIALLY IMPACTED THE CONDITION OF THE ENGINE?S PERFORMANCE WERE NOTED.