- Date
- August 4, 2000, 21:00 local (Aug 5, 2000, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Luzerne, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N395ESCessna 172R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000804036659A
- Case key
- 49921
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 misjudged flare and porpoise encountered during landing by the pilot. A factor to the accident was the collapse of the nose gear.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane was damaged during a nose over following a nose gear collapse while landing. The pilot said that during landing the '... plane ballooned and gained noticeable altitude. At this point I [the pilot] determined that it was too late to do a go-around. During the attempt to get on the runway, main gear contact was made very hard, bouncing plane airborne. Then the plane porpoised down the runway until the nose gear collapsed.' The pilot indicated no mechanical failure or malfunction in his report of the accident. A postaccident examination of the aircraft failed to reveal any anomalies that could be associated with a preexisting condition. The pilot's airman certificate was issued on July 6, 2000. The pilot listed, in his written report, 88.1 hours total flight time and 29.9 hours as pilot in command.
Factual narrative
On August 4, 2000, at 2100 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172R, N395ES, piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage during a nose over following a nose gear collapse while landing on runway 36 (2,600 feet by 100 feet, dry turf), at the Lost Creek Airport (5Y4), Luzerne, Michigan. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was on a visual flight rules flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, reported no injuries. The flight originated from the South Bend Regional Airport, South Bend, Indiana at 1815 and was en route to 5Y4.
In a written statement, the pilot said that during landing the "... plane ballooned and gained noticeable altitude. At this point I [the pilot] determined that it was too late to do a go-around. During the attempt to get on the runway, main gear contact was made very hard, bouncing plane airborne. Then the plane porpoised down the runway until the nose gear collapsed." The pilot indicated no mechanical failure or malfunction in his report of the accident.
A postaccident examination of the aircraft failed to reveal any anomalies that could be associated with a preexisting condition.
The pilot's airman certificate was issued on July 6, 2000. The pilot listed, in his written report, 88.1 hours total flight time and 29.9 hours as pilot in command.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N395ES
- Reported as
- Cessna 172R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17280144
- Airframe hours
- 668
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- S And B Aviation Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 10, 2000 · 70 hours before
- Departed
- SBN · South Bend, IN
- Destination
- 5Y4
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 5Y4 · Lost Creek Airport, runway 36, 2,600 × 100 ft, grass/turf
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 56
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 88 total · 88 in this make and model · 30 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 310° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HTL, 25 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.