- Date
- June 19, 2000
- Place
- Abuquerque, NM
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N738WECessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 25, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- Case key
- 49466
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 his inadequate 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, on his second solo, said that he encountered a downdraft, and landed hard. He said that the airplane bounced into the air and then landed hard a second time. Then the airplane oscillated back and forth in a porpoise like fashion. Subsequently the nose wheel landing gear was broken off, and the firewall was buckled.
Factual narrative
On June 18, 2000, at 1110 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N738WE, was substantially damaged following a loss of control during landing at Double Eagle II Airport, Albuquerque, New Mexico. The student pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. The airplane was being operated by West Mesa Aviation, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local instructional flight that originated approximately 15 minutes before the accident. No flight plan had been filed.
The student pilot, on his second solo, said that he encountered a downdraft, and landed hard. He said that the airplane bounced into the air and then landed hard a second time. Then the airplane oscillated back and forth in a porpoise like fashion. Subsequently the nose wheel landing gear was broken off, and the firewall was buckled.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N738WE
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17270288
- Airframe hours
- 4,104
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Aero Meridian Corp
- Registered owner
- Aero Meridian Corp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 24, 2000 · 33 hours before
- Departed
- AEG · Abuquerque, NM
- Airport
- AEG · Double Eagle II Airport, runway 22, 7,398 × 100 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
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 47 total · 47 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.22 inHg
- Observed at
- AEG