- Date
- August 3, 2006, 08:30 local (12:30 UTC)
- Place
- Augusta, GA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N20965Cessna 172M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- College Park FSDO-11
- FAA report
- 20060803016999A
- Case key
- 64261
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 on landing with excessive altitude resulting in a hard landing.
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
The student pilot was observed to start his landing flare at 50 feet above the runway. The airplane made a hard landing. The student pilot stopped the airplane and completed an engine shutdown. The airplane was towed to the parking ramp. Examination of the airplane revealed the engine firewall and cockpit floor was buckled.
Factual narrative
On August 3, 2006, at 0830 eastern daylight time a Cessna 172M, N20965, registered to a private owner, operated by Mc Air Aviation Services Inc., as a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, landed hard on runway 17 at Augusta Regional-Bush Field, Augusta, Georgia. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane received substantial damage. The student pilot reported no injuries. The flight originated from Augusta, Georgia, on August 3, 2006, at 0825.
A witness stated he observed the pilot depart from runway 17 and remained in left closed traffic. The airplane was observed to start a landing flare at 50 feet. The airplane made a hard landing. The student pilot stopped the airplane and completed an engine shutdown. The airplane was towed to the parking ramp. Examination of the airplane revealed the engine firewall and cockpit floor was buckled.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N20965
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17263883
- Airframe hours
- 8,800
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Mc Air Aviation Services Inc.
- Registered owner
- James P. McMakin
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 1, 2006 · 62 hours before
- Departed
- KAGS · Augusta, GA
- Destination
- KAGS
- Airport
- KAGS · Augusta Regional-Bush Field, runway 17, 8,001 × 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
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 20 total · 28 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KAGS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.