- Date
- March 17, 2009, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lafayette, IN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2382RCessna 172R
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-Indianapolis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090317011339A
- Case key
- 73506
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. Contributing to the accident were the wind gusts.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that while performing a touch-and-go landing, a gust of wind turned the airplane. He stated that he applied some power and straightened the airplane out, but that the airplane came down hard, bouncing several times and collapsing the nose landing gear before the airplane came to a stop. The firewall and fuselage skins showed evidence of buckling.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that while performing a touch and go landing, a gust of wind turned the airplane. He stated that he applied some power and straightened the airplane but the airplane came down hard and bounced. He stated that the airplane bounced several times and then came down hard on the nose landing gear. The nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane came to a stop. The firewall and fuselage skins showed evidence of buckling.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2382R
- Reported as
- Cessna 172R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17280700
- Airframe hours
- 3,395
- Engine
- Lycoming I0-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- LAF · Lafayette, IN
- Destination
- LAF · Lafayette, IN
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- LAF · Purdue University Airport, runway 23, 4,225 × 100 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
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 62 total · 62 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 12 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LAF
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 N2382R · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.