- Date
- September 26, 1997, 15:10 local (19:10 UTC)
- Place
- Fuquay-Varina, NC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N75522Cessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 24, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970926037609A
- Case key
- 3911
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 misjudged flare, improper level-off, and improper recovery from a bounced 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 pilot stated he was coming in too fast on final approach. As he crossed the threshold, he began his flare and ballooned. He dropped the nose, landed, and bounced. He stated he then landed on the nose wheel and the aircraft flipped over.
Factual narrative
On September 26, 1997, about 1510 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N75522, collided with the runway during landing at the Triple W Airport, Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. The airplane was operated by C & C Aircraft Services under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A flight plan was not filed for the local personal flight. There were no injuries to the private pilot, the sole occupant, and the airplane was substantially damaged. Origination of the flight was Fuquay-Varina, at 1300 eastern daylight time, on the same day.
The pilot stated to an inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration's Winston-Salem Flight Standards District Office, that the landing attempt was fast, resulting in a hard, bounced landing. When the airplane bounced back into the air, the pilot stated, he added power and "...must have pulled back on the stick, because the airplane stalled out and landed again, hard on the nose wheel."
The pilot stated that he was on final approach when he realized his airspeed was dropping below 60 knots. He then dropped the nose and added power. His airspeed was almost 75 knots as he neared the threshold. When crossing the threshold, the pilot said he began his flare and balooned. He stated he dropped the nose and the aircraft bounced. He said he landed on the nose wheel which broke off and the airplane landed on its back.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N75522
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17267779
- Airframe hours
- 3,061
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- C & C Aircraft Services
- Registered owner
- Clyde W. Canup
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 8, 1997 · 21 hours before
- Departed
- 5W5
- Airport
- 5W5 · Triple W, runway 16, 3,004 × 40 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 61
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 416 total · 238 in this make and model · 296 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RDU
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.