What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Sas task T-NM05-FY25-0529
Sas ar NM05202502208 and NM05202502257
Description of the deviation:
While operating on a solo cross-country flight on August 8, 2025 at 9 am local time, privacy data omitted, a student pilot bounced and porpoised the Cessna 172N multiple times while attempting to land on runway 16 at 7S0 in Ronan, Montana, causing substantial damage to the aircraft before coming to a rest on the runway.
Causal and/or contributing factors:
The pilot was a solo student on a solo cross-country flight. The student pilot had previously practiced landing at this airport; however, it was at night. He stated that he had some experience in privacy data omitted, but it was a little bit different from the other C172 that he had been training in. He said that he had bounced the aircraft before on a previous flight, and it had ended up ok with no damage. He thought the oscillations would stop and did not consider executing a go-around. He stated that he thought he was either pushing forward or aft on the yoke but could not remember. Due to the student pilot’s lack of experience and skill, he did not recognize that the attitude of the nose was too low on his landing, recognize when he should have executed a go-around, or use the correct control inputs once the oscillations started.
No ATC actions contributory to the event.
No recommendations for systemic corrective action.
Action taken to correct problem and prevent reoccurrence:
Compliance action – counseling. The student pilot was counseled on the necessity for initiating a go-around at the appropriate time and training for correct actions in different scenarios. The importance of practicing go-arounds in different configurations at different times during the approach to landing phase of flight was emphasized. The importance of aircraft familiarity and communication with his flight instructor was also stressed.
As the FAA filed it
SAS TASK T-NM05-FY25-0529
SAS AR NM05202502208 AND NM05202502257
DESCRIPTION OF THE DEVIATION:
WHILE OPERATING ON A SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT ON AUGUST 8, 2025 AT 9 AM LOCAL TIME, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A STUDENT PILOT BOUNCED AND PORPOISED THE CESSNA 172N MULTIPLE TIMES WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON RUNWAY 16 AT 7S0 IN RONAN, MONTANA, CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE COMING TO A REST ON THE RUNWAY.
CAUSAL AND/OR CONTRIBUTING FACTORS:
THE PILOT WAS A SOLO STUDENT ON A SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT. THE STUDENT PILOT HAD PREVIOUSLY PRACTICED LANDING AT THIS AIRPORT; HOWEVER, IT WAS AT NIGHT. HE STATED THAT HE HAD SOME EXPERIENCE IN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, BUT IT WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER C172 THAT HE HAD BEEN TRAINING IN. HE SAID THAT HE HAD BOUNCED THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE ON A PREVIOUS FLIGHT, AND IT HAD ENDED UP OK WITH NO DAMAGE. HE THOUGHT THE OSCILLATIONS WOULD STOP AND DID NOT CONSIDER EXECUTING A GO-AROUND. HE STATED THAT HE THOUGHT HE WAS EITHER PUSHING FORWARD OR AFT ON THE YOKE BUT COULD NOT REMEMBER. DUE TO THE STUDENT PILOT’S LACK OF EXPERIENCE AND SKILL, HE DID NOT RECOGNIZE THAT THE ATTITUDE OF THE NOSE WAS TOO LOW ON HIS LANDING, RECOGNIZE WHEN HE SHOULD HAVE EXECUTED A GO-AROUND, OR USE THE CORRECT CONTROL INPUTS ONCE THE OSCILLATIONS STARTED.
NO ATC ACTIONS CONTRIBUTORY TO THE EVENT.
NO RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SYSTEMIC CORRECTIVE ACTION.
ACTION TAKEN TO CORRECT PROBLEM AND PREVENT REOCCURRENCE:
COMPLIANCE ACTION – COUNSELING. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS COUNSELED ON THE NECESSITY FOR INITIATING A GO-AROUND AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME AND TRAINING FOR CORRECT ACTIONS IN DIFFERENT SCENARIOS. THE IMPORTANCE OF PRACTICING GO-AROUNDS IN DIFFERENT CONFIGURATIONS AT DIFFERENT TIMES DURING THE APPROACH TO LANDING PHASE OF FLIGHT WAS EMPHASIZED. THE IMPORTANCE OF AIRCRAFT FAMILIARITY AND COMMUNICATION WITH HIS FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WAS ALSO STRESSED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.