- Date
- July 10, 2012, 09:40 local (14:40 UTC)
- Place
- Grand Forks, ND
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N548NDCessna 172S
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 4, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20120710014209A
- Case key
- 84262
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 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
According to the student pilot, he entered the downwind leg for the runway as instructed by the tower controller. The airplane was stabilized on final approach, but the student pilot initiated the landing flare too late, resulting in a hard landing. As he turned onto the taxiway to complete the after-landing checklist, he discovered that the nosewheel tire had deflated. A postaccident examination revealed that the firewall and floorboard panels were wrinkled. The student pilot reported no preaccident anomalies or failures that would have prevented normal operation of the airplane.
Factual narrative
According to the student pilot, he entered the downwind leg for runway 17L as instructed by the control tower. The airspeed was about 80 KIAS (knots indicated airspeed). When he passed his aiming (touchdown) point, he initiated a descent. The airplane was stabilized on final approach, but when the student pilot went to land, he flared too late, resulting in a hard landing. The student pilot turned onto the taxiway to do an after-landing checklist and discovered the nose wheel tire was deflated. A postaccident examination revealed that the firewall and floorboard panels were wrinkled. The student pilot reported no preaccident anomalies or failures that would have prevented normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N548ND
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S11050
- Airframe hours
- 1,658
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- University Of North Dakota
- Registered owner
- University Of North Dakota
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · June 27, 2012 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- KGFK · Grand Forks, ND
- Destination
- KGFK · Grand Forks, ND
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- KGFK · Grand Forks International, runway 17L, 3,900 × 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 60 total · 60 in this make and model · 3 as pilot in command · 38 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- KGFK
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 26, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 558 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.
Other investigations on N548ND · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.