- Date
- September 15, 2010, 14:50 local (18:50 UTC)
- Place
- Stow, OH
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N97921Cessna 172P
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20100915046469A
- Case key
- 77363
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 inadequate landing flare, which resulted in a hard 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 pilot reported that the airplane was high on final approach and that she initiated a slip in order to lose altitude. During the landing flare, the airplane descended faster than she anticipated and touched down hard, bouncing 4 or 5 times down the runway. The pilot applied brakes and was able to regain control, stopping the airplane on the runway. A postaccident inspection revealed substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that the airplane was high on final approach and she initiated a slip in order to lose altitude. She flared the airplane for landing; however, it sank "quickly" and hit the runway "very hard." The airplane subsequently bounced 4 or 5 times. She applied the brakes and was able to regain control. After exiting the airplane, she noticed that the nose wheel was flat. A post accident inspection revealed nose landing gear and firewall damage. The pilot reported that there were no failures or malfunctions associated with the airplane prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N97921
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17276240
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Kent State University
- Registered owner
- Kent State University
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 1G3 · Stow, OH
- Destination
- 1G3 · Stow, OH
- Airport
- 1G3 · Kent State University, runway 19, 4,000 × 60 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
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 20, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 70 total · 9 in this make and model · 26 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- AKR, 7 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 2, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 MB 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.