DEN02LA088

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 172S · Englewood, CO · August 4, 2002

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
August 4, 2002, 11:40 local (17:40 UTC)
Place
Englewood, CO
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N238SPCessna 172S
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report April 1, 2003
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
FAA FSDO
FAA report
20020804021319A
Case key
55423

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

the instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight and his premature raising of the flaps, resulting in a hard 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.

Hard landingLanding - flare/touchdown
Flare - improperDual studentCause
Aborted landing - initiatedDual student
Raising of flaps - prematurePilot in command(cfi)Cause
Stall/mush - inadvertentDual student

Analysis

The pilot receiving instruction was flying the airplane from the right seat. He made four touch-and-go landings. The fifth approach was normal, with a flap setting of 30 degrees, but the flare was too high and the airplane landed hard and bounced. The pilot added full power and began to fly down the runway for a go-around. The instructor "adjusted the flap position and the airplane lost all lift and fell to the runway." The airplane slid across a grassy area and came to a halt on the taxiway.

Factual narrative

On August 4, 2002, approximately 1140 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172S, N238SP, registered to EDB Air, Inc., and operated by Key Lime Flight School, both of Englewood, Colorado, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during a touch-and-go landing at Centennial Airport, Englewood, CO. The instructor pilot and commercial pilot receiving instruction were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the instructional flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The local flight originated approximately 1030.

According to the pilot receiving instruction, he was flying the airplane from the right seat. He made four touch-and-go landings. The fifth approach was normal, with a flap setting of 30 degrees, but the flare was too high and the airplane landed hard and bounced. He added full power and began to fly down the runway for a go-around. He said the instructor "adjusted the flap position and the airplane lost all lift and fell to the runway." The airplane slid across a grassy area and came to a halt on the taxiway. The nose landing gear was collapsed and the firewall was buckled. Both propeller blades were curled forward.

The following weather observation was recorded shortly after the accident: wind, variable at 4 knots; visibility, 10 statute miles; temperature, 81 degrees Fahrenheit; dew point, 52 degrees Fahrenheit; altimeter, 30.25. The airport elevation was 5,883 ft. msl, and the calculated density altitude was 8,385 ft. msl.

Aircraft

Registration
N238SP
Reported as
Cessna 172S
Category
Airplane
Serial number
172S8223
Airframe hours
602.9
Engine
Lycoming IO-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Operator
Key Lime Flights
Registered owner
EDB Air Inc.
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
100 hour · June 13, 2002 · 66.4 hours before
Departed
APA · Englewood, CO
Airport
APA · Centennial, runway 17R, 10,002 × 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 · 2

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
36
Injuries
None
Certificates
Commercial, Flight instructor
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Last flight review
August 1, 2001
Seat
Left
Flight hours
466 total · 347 in this make and model · 388 as pilot in command · 41 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Role
Flight instructor
Age
48
Injuries
None
Certificate
Commercial
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Seat
Right
Flight hours
283 total · 106 in this make and model · 203 as pilot in command · 45 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
0° at 4 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
81 °F, dew point 52 °F
Altimeter
30.25 inHg
Observed at
KAPA

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.