- Date
- December 11, 2009, 17:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Pearland, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N172BJCessna 172
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 23, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 75171
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 failure to control the airplane's descent rate during the short-field landing, resulting in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the flight examiner's delayed response.
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 student pilot stated that he was performing a short-field landing to runway 14 during his flight examination. Approximately 50 feet above ground level it was apparent to the pilot that he was not going to land on his intended touchdown point, and the flight examiner in the right seat directed the pilot to go around. The student pilot applied full power, however the airplane landed hard before becoming airborne again. The flight examiner took over the flight controls and successfully landed the airplane. An examination of the airplane revealed that the the nose gear was bent and that the firewall and fuselage skin aft of the nose gear was wrinkled. The pilot and examiner were not injured. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane and that weather was not a factor.
Factual narrative
The student pilot stated he was performing a short field landing to runway 14 during his flight examination. Approximately 50 feet above ground level it was apparent to the pilot that he was not going to land on his intended touchdown point, and the flight examiner in the right seat directed the pilot to go-around. The student pilot applied full power, however, the airplane “landed hard” before becoming airborne again. The flight examiner took over the flight controls and successfully landed the airplane. An examination of the airplane revealed that the firewall was wrinkled, the nose gear bent, and the fuselage skin aft of the nose gear was wrinkled. The pilot and examiner were not injured. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane and that weather was not a contributing factor.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N172BJ
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (M)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17264243
- Engine
- Lycoming O320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KLVJ · Pearland, TX
- Destination
- KLVJ · Pearland, TX
- Airport
- KLVJ · Pearland Regional Airport, runway 14, 4,313 × 75 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Student, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 980 total · 40 in this make and model · 10 as pilot in command
- Role
- Check pilot
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 16,000 total · 1,000 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 12 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- KLVJ
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 13, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 674 KB in all.
Other investigations on N172BJ · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.