- Date
- October 8, 2006, 14:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- St Charles, MO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4775DCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 29, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA-St Louis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20061008021139A
- Case key
- 64692
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 failure to properly judge the landing flare and his inadequate recovery from the resulting bounced landing. A contributing factor was the inadvertent pilot induced oscillation (porpoise) after initial runway contact.
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 substantially damaged when it impacted the runway during landing. The pilot reported that he entered a right downwind for runway 27. Upon turning final, he realized that the airplane was high. He corrected by increasing the flap setting to 30 degrees and reducing power in order to descend "a little quicker." He stated, "As I came over the threshold, I realized I was coming down too fast, but still felt I was OK. In the last seconds, I realized I was in trouble. The force with which we hit the runway was much harder than I expected." The airplane bounced upon contact with the runway. The pilot noted, "I thought it would bounce and then settle down. When it porpoised, I failed to take action to correct it, resulting in the wreck."
Factual narrative
The airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted the runway during landing. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot reported that he was returning from a local flight when the accident occurred. He noted that the winds were calm.
The pilot reported that he entered a right downwind for runway 27. Upon turning final, he realized that the airplane was high. He corrected by increasing the flap setting to 30 degrees and reducing power in order to descend "a little quicker." He stated, "As I came over the threshold, I realized I was coming down too fast, but still felt I was OK. In the last seconds, I realized I was in trouble. The force with which we hit the runway was much harder than I expected."
The pilot stated that the airplane bounced upon contact with the runway. He noted, "I thought it would bounce and then settle down. When it porpoised, I failed to take action to correct it, resulting in the wreck."
The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures associated with the aircraft prior to the accident. The post accident examination revealed that the nose landing gear had collapsed and the firewall was damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4775D
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17272357
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- St Charles Flying Service Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Departed
- 3SQ · St Charles, MO
- Airport
- 3SQ · St Charles, runway 27, 3,451 × 49 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
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 226 total · 39 in this make and model · 138 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- STL, 9 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.