# Incident 20230722005749I: Cessna 172N, Watkins, CO, July 22, 2023

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 22, 2023, 15:15 local time
- Place: Watkins, CO
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.6984° N, 104.5772° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Watkins, CO, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.6984&lon=-104.5772&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5301D, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5301D-2025-04-19) (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: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 1,061 total, 397 in this make and model
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230722005749I

## Narrative

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

AIRCRAFT WAS CLEARED FOR TOUCH AND GO ON RUNWAY 8 AS THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO FLARE IT LANDED A BIT FLAT AND THIS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO BALLOON UP A FEW FEET.   AS THIS HAPPENED, STUDENT SAID I AM GOING AROUND, INSTRUCTOR SAID YES, GO AROUND.  STUDENT ADDED FULL POWER AND THE PLANE YAWED TO THE LEFT DUE TO P-FACTOR AND CROSSWIND.  THE STUDENT ADDED A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF RIGHT AILERON IN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE YAW AND DRIFT.  AT THIS TIME, THE INSTRUCTOR FELT THEY WERE APPROACHING AN UNSTABLE CONDITION AND ATTEMPTED TO TAKE THE CONTROLS.  THE INSTRUCTOR ANNOUNCED THAT HE HAD THE FLIGHT CONTROLS, AND THE STUDENT DID NOT RESPOND.  INSTRUCTOR THEN SAID IT AGAIN, MUCH MORE FORCEFULLY AND THE STUDENT RELEASED THE CONTROLS TO THE INSTRUCTOR. THE INSTRUCTOR IMMEDIATELY ROLLED THE WINGS LEVEL AT FULL POWER. THE PLANE WAS SINKING AND THE INSTRUCTOR ATTEMPTED TO MAKE IT A SALVAGEABLE LANDING WITH THE NOSE UP.  THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH AIRSPEED IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN CONTROL, THE POWER WAS PULLED AS THE AIRCRAFT WENT ACROSS THE GRASS AREA TOWARDS THE TAXI WAY.  THE INSTRUCTOR PULLED THE NOSE UP TO TRY AND KEEP THE NOSE WHEEL OFF THE GROUND, BUT THE AIRSPEED WAS TOO LOW TO GET THE NOSE WHEEL OFF THE GROUND.  AT THIS POINT THE NOSE WHEEL COLLAPSED, AND THE FRONT OF THE AIRPLANE WENT INTO THE GROUND AND CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP.

## Other reports on N5301D (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 19821107058589A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19821107058589A), Nov 7, 1982: Cessna 172N (N5301D), Port Hope, MI, Substantial damage. Pilot lost directional control during attempt to abort takeoff, wing hit tree.

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.