- Date
- October 20, 2009, 12:20 local (17:20 UTC)
- Place
- Grand Forks, ND
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N519NDCessna 172S
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 19, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration - Fargo FSDO
- FAA report
- 20091020050699A
- Case key
- 74944
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 student pilot's improper landing flare and recovery from a bounced landing.
Findings · 2
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 accident occurred during the student pilot's second landing on his first solo flight. He stated that the airplane was on a stabilized approach as it crossed over the runway threshold at 63 knots. He reduced engine power and began to flare as the airplane was abeam the Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) system. He reported that the landing flare was "somewhat short" and that the airplane landed hard on its main landing gear. He reduced his back pressure on the control yoke and the nose wheel contacted the runway. The airplane then bounced several times, alternating between the nose and main landing gear, before stabilizing on a landing rollout. A postaccident inspection of the aircraft revealed the lower engine firewall and forward floorboards were substantially deformed. The student pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
Factual narrative
The accident occurred during the student pilot's second landing on his first solo flight. He stated that the airplane was on a stabilized approach as it crossed over the runway threshold at 63 knots. He reduced engine power and began his landing flare as the airplane was abeam the Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) system. He reported that the landing flare was "somewhat short" and that the airplane landed hard on its main landing gear. He reduced his backpressure on the control yoke and the nose wheel contacted the runway. The airplane then bounced several times, alternating between the nose and main landing gear, before stabilizing on a landing rollout. An after-flight inspection revealed the lower engine firewall and forward floorboards were substantially deformed. The student pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N519ND
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S10810
- Airframe hours
- 992
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- UND Aerospace Foundation
- Registered owner
- UND Aerospace Foundation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · October 13, 2009
- Departed
- KGFK · Grand Forks, ND
- Destination
- KGFK · Grand Forks, ND
- Airport
- KGFK · Grand Forks International, runway 35L, 7,349 × 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
- 19
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 19 total · 19 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- KGFK
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 19, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 532 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.