- Date
- April 19, 1997, 13:10 local (18:10 UTC)
- Place
- Rantoul, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3489TCessna 177
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 29, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970419006349A
- Case key
- 10549
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 improper recovery from a bounced 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 student pilot reported that during the landing flare, she reduced power, and the airplane 'fell in.' The airplane bounced, and the pilot added power; however, the airplane contacted the runway on the nose gear. The airplane bounced once again. Once again, the pilot added power, this time making a landing. The pilot reported she noticed damage to the airplane after taxiing to the local fixed base operator.
Factual narrative
On April 19, 1997, at 1310 central daylight time, a Cessna 177, N3489T, operated by a student pilot collided with the runway following a loss of control while landing at the Rantoul National Aviation Center, Rantoul, Illinois. The landing was being made on runway 27 (5,000' x 75'). The student pilot was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The 14 CFR Part 91 solo flight was being conducted in visual meteorological conditions. The flight originated from Plymouth, Indiana, at approximately 1200 cdt.
The student pilot stated she entered the traffic pattern for runway 27. On downwind she "put on half flaps and maintained an airspeed of 80 mph." She stated she initiated the landing flare over the first quarter of the runway and when she "pulled off the throttle" the airplane "fell in." She reported the airplane bounced and she applied power, but it contacted the runway on the nose gear. She reported the airplane bounced once more at which time she again added power and made a landing.
The student pilot reported that after taxiing the airplane to the local fixed base operator she noticed the damage to the nose gear and fuselage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3489T
- Reported as
- Cessna 177
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17700789
- Airframe hours
- 3,345
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Joel And Shelley Wolvos
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 14, 1997 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- C65 · Plymouth, IN
- Destination
- 2I5
- Airport
- 2I5 · Rantoul National, runway 27, 5,000 × 75 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
- 47
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 91 total · 91 in this make and model · 26 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,200 ft broken
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CMI, 19 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.