- Date
- October 9, 2006, 12:20 local (17:20 UTC)
- Place
- Grand Rapids, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N739XKCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Minneapolis
- FAA report
- 20061009027009A
- Case key
- 64799
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 misjudged landing flare and improper recovery from the bounced landing which led to the failure of the nose landing gear. The overload failure of the nose landing gear was a factor.
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 during a hard landing. The student pilot was on a solo training flight when the accident occurred. He reported that the airplane touched down "not too hard, and not at a steep angle." He reported that he pulled back on the elevator control. He stated that the second touchdown "was a severe bounce" and the airplane pitched up during that bounce. The airplane subsequently impacted the runway a third time and the nose landing gear collapsed. The student pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane.
Factual narrative
The airplane was substantially damaged during a hard landing. The student pilot was on a solo training flight when the accident occurred. He reported that the airplane touched down "not too hard, and not at a steep angle." He reported that he pulled back on the elevator control. He stated that the second touchdown "was a severe bounce" and the airplane pitched up during that bounce. The airplane subsequently impacted the runway a third time and the nose landing gear collapsed. The student pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N739XK
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17270887
- Airframe hours
- 13,802
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Airways Aviation Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 1, 2006
- Departed
- GPZ · Grand Rapids, MN
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
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 23 total · 23 in this make and model · 2 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.45 inHg
- Observed at
- GPZ
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.