- Date
- September 11, 2012, 16:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Salina, KS
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N824KSCessna 172R
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20120911022109A
- Case key
- 85010
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 flight instructor's improper flare in gusty wind conditions, 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 flight instructor and student pilot were practicing takeoffs and landings. During the climb after a stop-and-go landing on the 4,300 foot long runway, the flight instructor reduced the engine power to idle to demonstrate a simulated engine-out landing to the student pilot. The flight instructor reported that the airplane made a rapid descent from about 200 feet above ground level, and then he flared too high; the airplane landed hard on the runway, substantially damaging the airplane’s firewall. The flight instructor stated that the wind at the time was from about 10 degrees left of the runway heading at 28 knots, gusting to 33 knots. The flight instructor reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions.
Factual narrative
The certificated flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot were practicing takeoff and landings. After performing a stop-and-go on the 4,300 foot long runway, the CFI pulled the engine back to idle to demonstrate a simulated engine-out landing to the student pilot. The CFI reported that the airplane made a rapid descent from about 200 feet above ground level, he flared too high and the airplane landed hard on the runway. The CFI stated that the wind was 10 degrees from the runway heading, and gusting to 33 knots at the time. Substantial damage was sustained to the airplane's firewall. The CFI did not report any mechanical malfunctions prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N824KS
- Reported as
- Cessna 172R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17280564
- Airframe hours
- 5,493
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Kansas State University Salina
- Registered owner
- Kansas State University Salina
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · August 29, 2012 · 22 hours before
- Departed
- KSLN · Salina, KS
- Destination
- KSLN · Salina, KS
- Airport
- KSLN · Salina Municipal Airport, runway 18, 4,300 × 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 2, 2012
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 287 total · 165 in this make and model · 205 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 23 knots, gusting 31
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 95 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.85 inHg
- Observed at
- KSLN
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 26, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.9 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.