- Date
- August 6, 1997, 17:25 local (22:25 UTC)
- Place
- Keokuk, IA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N13353Cessna 172M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970806021229A
- Case key
- 10664
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 and improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a porpoise, failure (collapse) of the nose gear, and a subsequent nose over.
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 pilot reported that on final approach to the runway, the airplane was high on the glide slope, so he increased the flap setting to 40 degrees. He stated that he flew past the numbers and fixed distance marker, then initiated a flare. Also, the pilot reported, 'Flared high, banged hard on the two main wheels. Bounced up and came down again. Bounced about 5 more times.' On the fifth bounce the nose gear broke off. The pilot reported that the airplane veered off the prepared runway surface, crossed a taxiway, into a grass section between the taxiway and runway 8. After reaching the grass section, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted.
Factual narrative
On August 6, 1997 at 1725 central daylight time (cdt), a Cessna 172M, N13353, sustained substantial damage after nosing over, during a landing roll at the Keokuk Municipal Airport, Keokuk, Iowa. The student pilot reported no injuries. The 14 Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The flight departed Ottumwa, Iowa at 1639 cdt, for a student solo cross country flight.
In a written statement, the pilot reported that on final approach to Runway 03 at the Keokuk Municipal Airport he was high on the glide slope so he increased the flap setting to 40 degrees. The pilot stated that he flew past the numbers and fixed distance marker, then initiated a flare. The pilot reported, "Flared high, banged hard on the two main wheels. Bounced up and came down again. Bounced about 5 more times." On the fifth bounce the nose gear broke off. The pilot reported that the airplane veered off the prepared runway surface, crossed a taxiway, into a grass section between the taxiway and Runway 08. Upon reaching the grass section, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot exited the aircraft, uninjured, and waited for assistance.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N13353
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17262692
- Airframe hours
- 5,371
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ottumwa Flying Services Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 17, 1997 · 36 hours before
- Departed
- OTM · Ottumwa, IA
- Destination
- EOK
- Airport
- EOK · Keokuk Municipal, runway 3, 3,801 × 100 ft, concrete
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 31 total · 31 in this make and model · 5 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EOK, 1 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.