# NTSB CEN19LA302: Cessna 172, N212BS, La Grange, TX, September 2, 2019 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: September 2, 2019, 15:15 local (20:15 UTC) - Place: La Grange, TX - Coordinates: 29.908332, -96.949996 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.9083&lon=-96.9500&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 100193 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN19LA302 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/100193/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=100193 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN19LA302 ## Probable cause The pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 206 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Experience/qualifications: total experience](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02031015): Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge · Student/instructed pilot; cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02031015/cases.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 126 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02031015/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: descent/approach/glide path](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062040): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 18 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062040/cases.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 809 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062040/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: landing flare](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 99 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 1,285 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md) - [Landing: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 21 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 1,787 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md) ## Analysis The student pilot was conducting a solo cross-country flight. Upon arriving at the destination airport, he overflew the runway to determine the wind direction from the windsock then performed a normal approach. He stated that, during the landing flare, a gust of wind came from the right side and lifted the airplane. The airplane then landed hard, bounced once, then came to a stop, resulting in substantial damage to the firewall and a collapsed nose landing gear. Review of the wind conditions revealed a light right crosswind around the time of the accident. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with an improper flare and hard landing. ## Factual narrative On September 2, 2019, about 1515 central daylight time, a Cessna 172S airplane, N212BS, experienced a hard landing at the Fayette Regional Air Center Airport (3T5), La Grange, Texas. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to Euros Aircraft leasing LLC, and operated by the Brazos Valley Flight Services under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a student cross-country flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot, who held a student pilot certificate, stated that he flew across the airport at midfield and noticed the windsock indicated winds favored a landing on runway 34. He added that he did a normal approach, and during the landing flare just before touchdown, a gust of wind came from the right side and lifted the airplane. The airplane then landed hard, bounced once, and then came to a stop. An examination of the airplane noted substantial damage to the firewall and a collapsed nose landing gear. At 1515, the automated weather reporting station located at 3T5 recorded the wind at 050 degrees at 5 knots. At 1535, the station recorded the wind at 040 degrees at 7 knots, and at 1555, wind at 040 degrees, variable at 020 to 080 degrees, at 7 knots. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N212BS](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N212BS), registered now, S/N 172S8243, built 1999 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 172 (S) - Registry model: [Cessna 172S](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172s) (registry code 2072439) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming I0360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (registry code 41515, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 172S8243 - Year built: 1999 - Airframe hours: 9888 - Engines: Lycoming IO360 SER 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Brazos Valley Flight Services - Registered owner: Euros Aircraft Leasing Llc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, August 17, 2019 - Departed: CLL, College Station, TX - Destination: 3T5, La Grange, TX - Airport: 3T5, Fayette Regional, runway 34, 5,000 × 75 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 31; injuries: none; student; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 21.2 total, 21.2 in this make and model, 14.1 in the last 90 days, 4.9 in the last 30 days, 1.6 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 50° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 99 °F, dew point 61 °F - Altimeter: 29.94 inHg - Observed at: 3T5 ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20190902014669A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190902014669A), Sep 2, 2019: Cessna 172S, La Grange, TX, Substantial damage. On September 2, 2019, at 1551 central daylight time (CDT) the reporting inspector received a call from the FAA southwest region operations center indicating… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 27, 2019, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=100193. 1.3 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 1.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40478459&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Weather Reports and Records (item 2, .PDF, 182 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40478460&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20Reports%20and%20Records-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.