- Date
- September 21, 2002, 17:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Boyne Falls, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N784SACessna 172S
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 25, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20020921024479A
- Case key
- 55810
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 pilot's improper flare during landing.
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 sustained substantial damage during a hard landing. The pilot reported he landed on the center of runway 35 (5,200 feet by 60 feet, asphalt) about 800 feet from the beginning of the runway. He reported, "I did not feel or hear any striking of the prop on the runway. I felt that I simply flared too high, floated, and landed hard. I bounced once, added a little power, and landed properly. It was not until later that it was discovered the propeller tip was bent and that the nose wheel probably was the first to hit the runway."
Factual narrative
On September 21, 2002, at 1715 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172S, N784SA, sustained substantial damage to the engine firewall during a hard landing at Boyne Mountain Airport (BFA), Boyne Falls, Michigan. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured. The Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight departed Tulip City Airport (BIV), Holland, Michigan, at 1530, and was making a full stop landing at BFA. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.
The pilot reported he landed on the center of runway 35 (5,200 feet by 60 feet, asphalt) about 800 feet from the beginning of the runway. He reported, "I did not feel or hear any striking of the prop on the runway. I felt that I simply flared too high, floated, and landed hard. I bounced once, added a little power, and landed properly. It was not until later that it was discovered the propeller tip was bent and that the nose wheel probably was the first to hit the runway."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N784SA
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17258780
- Airframe hours
- 501
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Tulip City Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- BIV · Holland, MI
- Destination
- BFA · Boyne Falls, MI
- Airport
- BFA · Boyne Mountain Airport, runway 35, 5,200 × 60 ft, asphalt
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 97 total · 97 in this make and model · 44 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- GRR, 170 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.