- Date
- September 24, 2024, 16:15 UTC
- Place
- Janesville, WI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N281EATextron 172S
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20240924017119A
- Case key
- 195235
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 flare and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action that resulted in a hard, bounced landing.
Findings · 3
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
During the student pilot’s second instructional flight, he performed an uneventful touch and go landing. When the student was on final for his second touch and go landing, about 25 ft above the runway, he initiated an early flare and pitched the airplane down which led to a sharp descent toward the runway. The airplane landed hard and bounced on the runway. The flight instructor took the controls and initiated a go-around. The flight instructor assisted the student on one more touch and go landing, then made a full stop landing. During a post-flight inspection, substantial damage (buckling) was found on the underside of the empennage and the firewall. The flight instructor reported that the accident could have been prevented by initiating a go around earlier. No mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane were reported.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N281EA
- Reported as
- Textron 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S13043
- Built
- 2023
- Airframe hours
- 849
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 16, 2024
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- JVL · Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport, runway 04, 6,701 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Data recorder, Auto-pilot, ADS-B
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
- 22
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 489 total · 215 in this make and model · 44 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 19
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3 total · 3 in this make and model · 3 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.84 inHg
- Observed at
- KJVL
- METAR
- KJVL 250415Z AUTO 00000KT 5SM BR CLR 12/12 A2984 RMK AO2
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 8, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.3 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.