- Date
- December 26, 2003, 12:45 local (17:45 UTC)
- Place
- Atlanta, GA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N26486Cessna 172R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 7, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Atlanta FSDO
- FAA report
- 20031226034269A
- Case key
- 58558
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's improper flare resulting in a hard landing. A factor is lack of total experience.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During the student pilot's first unsupervised solo, he landed the airplane hard on runway 20L, and veered off the left side of runway surface into the grass. The nosegear collapsed. The student pilot reported that while descending fast on final approach, he landed the airplane "flat" and veered of the runway. Review of the pilot logbook showed that the student pilot had accumulated a total of 15 flight hours over a time period of a year. The student pilot prior to the accident reported no flight control or mechanical problems.
Factual narrative
On December 26, 2003, at 1245 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172R, N26486, registered to T J Aviation Inc and operated by PDK Flight Academy collided with the ground during a hard landing at Peachtree-Dekalb Airport, Atlanta, Georgia. The instructional flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot was not injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight departed Peachtree-Dekalb Airport, Atlanta, Georgia, on December 26, 2003 at 1230.
According to the certified flight instructor, during the student pilot's first unsupervised solo, he landed the airplane on runway 20L, and veered off the left side of runway surface into the grass. The student pilot reported that he while descending fast on final approach he landed the airplane "flat" and bounced. He applied brakes and the airplane skidded off of the left side of the runway. The propeller struck the turf and the airplane came to rest between runway 20R and 20L. The student pilot stated that he failed to maintain control of the airplane when it bounced.
Examination of the airplane revealed, the left and right wing tips were crushed. The nosewheel assembly was bent forward, and the firewall was buckled. Review of the pilot logbook showed that the student pilot had accumulated a total of 15 flight hours over a time period of a year. The student pilot prior to the accident reported no flight control or mechanical problems.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N26486
- Reported as
- Cessna 172R
- Category
- Airplane
- Airframe hours
- 3,063
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360/L2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- PDK Flight Academy
- Registered owner
- T J Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 4, 2003 · 59 hours before
- Departed
- PDK · Atlanta, GA
- Airport
- PDK · Dekalb-Peachtree, runway 20, 3,144 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 15 total · 15 in this make and model · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.28 inHg
- Observed at
- PDK
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N26486 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.