# NTSB CHI99LA030: Cessna 172C, N1806Y, Falls City, NE, November 14, 1998 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: November 14, 1998, 12:00 local (18:00 UTC) - Place: Falls City, NE - Coordinates: 40.059833, -95.590774 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.0598&lon=-95.5908&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report February 16, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 45339 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI99LA030 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/45339/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI99LA030 ## Probable cause the flight instructor (on the ground)'s conducting inadequate initial training of the student pilot. Factors were the student pilot's misjudging the flare and his lack of total experience in the type of operation. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - flare - misjudged, pilot in command (contributing factor) - lack of total experience in type operation, pilot in command (contributing factor) - inadequate initial training, flight instructor(on ground) (cause) ## Analysis On his fourth attempt to land the airplane the student pilot misjudged the flare and hard landed the airplane. The accident flight was the second time the student pilot had operated the airplane solo. The student pilot had accumulated a total flight time of 13.9 hours upon returning to the home field following a hard landing at another airport where he had conducted a round-robin cross country flight. He had received 8.6 hours of dual instruction in preparation for his first solo flight. After that he received an additional 1.8 hours dual instruction in cross country technique. Then his student pilot certificate was endorsed approving solo cross country flights at which point he conducted the accident flight. ## Factual narrative On November 14, 1998, at 1200 central standard time, a Cessna 172C, N1806Y, operated by a solo student pilot sustained substantial damage during a hard landing at Brenner Field, near Falls City, Nebraska. The solo student reported no injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The flight departed Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, about 1050. After the accident the student returned the airplane to Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, without incident, where the damage was discovered. The student pilot said in his written statement that he made four attempts to land on runway 14 and on fourth attempt the airplane touched down on the main landing gear and "nosed hard on the front landing gear." He said that he then elected to convert the landing to a touch and go, and returned to Ft. Leavenworth. He said he reported the hard landing to the owners of the airplane; however, did not learn of the extend of the damage until the next day. According to Federal Aviation Administration inspectors, the student pilot had accumulated a total flight time of 13.9 hours upon returning to Ft. Leavenworth following the hard landing accident at Falls City. He received 8.6 hours of dual instruction in preparation for his first solo flight. After that he received 1.8 hours dual instruction in cross country technique. Then his student certificate was endorsed approving solo cross country flights at which point he conducted the accident flight. The accident flight was the second time the student pilot had operated the airplane solo. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N1806Y](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N1806Y), registered now, S/N 17249406, built 1962 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 172C - Registry model: [Cessna 172C](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172c) (registry code 2072408) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental 0-300 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-300-series) (registry code 17022, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17249406 - Airframe hours: 3271 - Engines: Continental O-300-D 145 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Directorate Of Com Activities - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, September 30, 1998, 76 hours before - Departed: FLV, FT. LEAVENWORTH, KS - Destination: FNB - Airport: FNB, Brenner Field, runway 14, 3,999 × 60 ft, concrete ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 47; student; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 14 total, 14 in this make and model, 4 as pilot in command ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 260° at 10 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 61 °F ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19981114031449A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981114031449A), Nov 14, 1998: Cessna 172C, Falls City, NE, Substantial damage. Acft was performing touch and go landings (-23) on November 14, 1998, at 1130 CST, a Cessna 172C, N1806Y, operated by steven r. west, sustained substantial… ## Other investigations on N1806Y (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB CHI04CA121](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI04CA121), May 15, 2004: Cessna 172C (N1806Y), Fort Leavenwort, KS, substantial damage. Probable cause: The inadequate flare by the pilot. From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.