# NTSB ANC21LA100: Cessna 172R, N35408, Birchwood, AK, September 18, 2021 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: September 18, 2021, 14:00 local (22:00 UTC) - Place: Birchwood, AK - Coordinates: 61.3662, -149.5083 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.3662&lon=-149.5083&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: FAA Flight Standards - NTSB case key (mKey): 104066 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC21LA100 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/104066/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=104066 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC21LA100 ## Probable cause The flight instructor’s inadequate supervision of the student pilot, and student pilot’s improper landing flare, resulting in a hard landing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Performance/control parameters: landing flare](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172R, 37 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md?model=2072401), [All aircraft, 1,285 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md) - [Action: incorrect action performance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172R, 8 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015/cases.md?model=2072401), [All aircraft, 1,386 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015/cases.md) - [Action: delayed action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172R, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025/cases.md?model=2072401), [All aircraft, 894 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172R, 34 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=2072401), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md) ## Analysis According to the flight instructor, the student pilot was practicing takeoffs and landings at the time of the accident. He reported that the student pilot completed 4 takeoffs and landings with the tendency to initiate the landing flare “a little early” and the airplane “came down a little harder” than expected. On the following landing, the instructor decided to tell the student when to start the landing flare. The approach was stabilized, but when he instructed the student to begin to flare, the student “pulled back on the yoke hard” which he had not done before. The airplane pitched “way up” and started to drift off the runway. The flight instructor assumed control, but the airplane “landed extremely hard.” The student pilot noted that he pulled back on the control wheel “too quickly and too hard.” They taxied off the runway to inspect the airplane. Observing no obvious damage, they returned to their home airport with no further difficulties. He subsequently reported the event to the flight club chief pilot and mechanic. Neither pilot reported any anomalies with respect to the airplane. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed damage to the lower fuselage aft of the nose landing gear. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N35408](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N35408), registered now, S/N 17281081 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172R - Registry model: [Cessna 172R](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172r) (registry code 2072401) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17281081 - Year built: 2001 - Airframe hours: 6310 - Engines: Lycoming IO-360-L2A 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Elmendorf Aero Club - Registered owner: Elmendorf Aero Club - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, August 23, 2021, 29 hours before - Departed: PAED, JBER, AK - Destination: PABV, Birchwood, AK - Flight plan: VFR - Airport: PABV, Birchwood, runway 20R, 4,010 × 100 ft, asphalt - Equipment: ADS-B, Stall warning system ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 44; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review May 25, 2021; seat: right; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 376 total, 56 in this make and model, 263 as pilot in command, 35 in the last 90 days, 11 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours - Student pilot; age 22; injuries: none; student; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 12 total, 12 in this make and model, 0 as pilot in command, 12 in the last 90 days, 12 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 190° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 8,000 ft overcast - Temperature: 52 °F, dew point 34 °F - Altimeter: 29.61 inHg - Observed at: PABV, 1 nm away ## Other investigations on N35408 (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 GAA16CA442](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA16CA442), Aug 20, 2016: Cessna 172 (N35408), Anchorage, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The facility's designation of the taxiway for use by maintenance personnel to conduct high thrust tests without appropriate safeguards in place, which led to maintenance personnel conducting… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 12, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=104066. 6.0 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 3.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12799119&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Accident%20Report%20--%20ANC21LA100_redacted-Rel.pdf - Flight instructor statement (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 81 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12799931&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Flight%20Instructor%20Stmt%20--%20N35408_redacted-Rel.pdf - Student pilot statement (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 76 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12799196&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Student%20Pilot%20Stmt%20--%20N35408-Rel.pdf - Airplane photos (item 4, PDF, 10 pages, 2.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12835109&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Airplane%20Photos%20--%20ANC21LA100-Rel.pdf 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. --- 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.