- Date
- December 7, 2010, 12:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lawrence, KS
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N99HVCessna 172S
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 16, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20101207055259A
- Case key
- 77965
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 non-stabilized approach and improper 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
During the student pilot’s second solo landing of the day, he realized that the airplane was too high and fast; however, he elected to continue the approach. On touchdown the airplane landed nosewheel first, bounced back into the air, and then settled back to the runway. An examination of the airplane following the accident revealed that the airplane’s firewall sustained substantial damage during the hard landing. The student pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
On the student pilot’s second solo landing of the day, he realized that the airplane was too high and fast; however, he elected to continue the approach. On touchdown the airplane landed nosewheel first, bounced back into the air, and then settled back to the runway. The student pilot was able to taxi the airplane to the ramp. An examination of the airplane following the accident revealed that the airplane’s firewall sustained substantial damage during the hard landing. The student pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N99HV
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S10090
- Airframe hours
- 3,093
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hetrick Air Services INC
- Registered owner
- Hespervolita Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · April 6, 2010
- Departed
- LWC · Lawrence, KS
- Destination
- LWC · Lawrence, KS
- Airport
- LWC · Lawrence Municipal, runway 01, 3,901 × 75 ft, concrete
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
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 73 total · 38 in this make and model · 7 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.29 inHg
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 9, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.1 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.
Other investigations on N99HV · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.