- Date
- July 5, 2023, 15:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- Burlington, VT · Airport runway
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N64AFCessna 172R
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20230705006609A
- Case key
- 192579
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 improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action.
Findings · 4
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 flight instructor, the student pilot was a little high on the final approach for the short field landing, which resulted in a steeper approach. Before touch down, the student decreased the pitch attitude, and there was little to no flare. The airplane landed flat, bounced, then hit the nosewheel first as they touched down and bounced a second time. During the second bounce, both pilots heard a noise, the student felt a vibration in the rudder pedals, and initiated a go-around. The flight instructor assumed control of the airplane during climb out and confirmed there were no anomalies with the rudder system before transferring the controls back to the student. During the next landing, the flight instructor stated that the student flared a little high and the airplane ballooned before touchdown. During the landing roll, the airplane veered to the right and neither pilot was able to maintain directional control. The nose landing gear collapsed as both pilots applied the brakes. The airplane impacted a taxiway light and came to rest on the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and lower fuselage at the nose landing gear support structure. Based on the pilot’s statements it is likely the nose landing gear was compromised during the first landing attempt. The flight instructor reported that there were no anomalies with the airplane before the first landing. He added that the accident could have been prevented if they had performed a go-around if a stabilized approach was not established.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N64AF
- Reported as
- Cessna 172R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17280069
- Built
- 1997
- Airframe hours
- 13,302.5
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Vermont Flight Academy Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 31, 2023 · 78.3 hours before
- Departed
- KBTV · South Burlington, VT
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- KBVT · Burlington International Airport, runway 01, 4,112 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B, Stall warning system
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 10, 2023
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 261 total · 122 in this make and model · 172 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 81 total · 79 in this make and model · 8 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- KBTV
- METAR
- KBTV 051954Z VRB03KT 10SM FEW055 FEW250 33/19 A2993 RMK AO2 SLP133 T03330194
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 16, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 55.6 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 N64AF · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.