# NTSB CEN23LA354: Cessna 172S, N1403R, Clewiston, FL, August 2, 2023

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: August 2, 2023, 06:15 local (10:15 UTC)
- Place: Clewiston, FL
- Coordinates: 26.44, -81.03
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.4400&lon=-81.0300&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: 2 uninjured
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: FAA
- NTSB case key (mKey): 192793
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN23LA354
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/192793/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=192793
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA354

## Probable cause

The student pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing on the nose landing gear. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s inadequate supervision of the student pilot.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [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)
- [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)
- [Attention/monitoring: task monitoring/vigilance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021520): Personnel issues › Psychological · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 8 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021520/cases.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 330 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021520/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-flare/touchdown: 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)
- [Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 77 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 4,585 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md)
- [Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 76 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The flight instructor and student pilot were practicing short field landings when the student pilot landed hard on the nose landing gear. The flight instructor took control of the airplane and performed a touch-and-go. The flight instructor held the nose landing gear off the ground on the full stop landing; however, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane veered off the runway and into the grass. Post flight examination revealed buckling and wrinkling of the lower fuselage. The examination of the airplane found no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations. The flight instructor reported that the student pilot was low on the approach, but the flight instructor did not intervene because the student pilot was going to take his private pilot checkride later that day and could perform short field landings. Neither the flight instructor nor the student pilot returned the National Transportation Safety Board 6120.1 Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N1403R](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N1403R), registered now, S/N 172S9877 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172S
- Registry model: [Cessna 172S](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172s) (registry code 2072439) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 172S9877
- Engines: unknown reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Instructional, Part 91
- Operator: Wayman Aviation Academy
- Registered owner: My Way Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate: Unknown
- Departed: HWO, Hollywood Airport, FL
- Destination: 2IS, Clewiston Airport, FL
- Airport: 2IS, Clewiston, runway 31, 5,902 × 75 ft, asphalt

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 26; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1; seat: right
- Student pilot; age 19; injuries: none; student; medical: class 1; seat: left

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Dawn
- Wind: calm
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observed at: KHWO, 50 nm away
- METAR: KHWO 020953Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 26/24 A3002

## 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 20230802008969A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230802008969A), Aug 2, 2023: Cessna 172S, Clewiston, FL, Substantial damage. 08/02/2023-Aircraft [privacy data omitted] was being operated by a student pilot and CFI at the Clewiston airport (K2IS). Student pilot attepted to land after…

## Docket (4 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 13, 2023, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=192793. 1.8 MB in all.

- Photos (item 1, PDF, 2 pages, 653 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16366546&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=photo%20sheet-Rel.pdf
- CFI statement (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 66 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16366946&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=CFI%20Statement_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Student statement (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 983 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16367052&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Student%20Statement_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- FAA inspection statement (item 4, PDF, 2 pages, 127 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16430477&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Regarding%20N1403R-FAA%20Statement_Redacted-Rel.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.