# NTSB DEN05LA055: Cessna 172N, N618MN, Loveland, CO, February 2, 2005 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: February 2, 2005, 14:50 local (21:50 UTC) - Place: Loveland, CO - Coordinates: 40.451667, -105.011665 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.4517&lon=-105.0117&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report June 8, 2005 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA Flight Standards District Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 60963 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN05LA055 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/60963/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN05LA055 ## Probable cause The dual student's improper flare and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision.. A contributing factor was the inadequate communication between the flight instructor and the dual student, ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - communications - inadequate, dual student (contributing factor) - communications - inadequate, pilot in command(cfi) (contributing factor) - flare - improper, dual student (cause) - supervision - inadequate, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) ## Analysis According to the flight instructor, they were performing a touch-and-go landing. During the landing flare, the flight instructor requested that the student perform a go-around and the student acknowledged. The instructor stated that the student added full power and "fully and abruptly moved the control yoke to its full forward limit." The instructor stated that he attempted to take control of the airplane; however, the nose gear impacted the runway and the airplane bounced. The instructor stated that he was able to land the airplane, following the bounce. He brought the airplane to a complete stop approximately 15 feet off of the left side of the runway. In two separate telephone interviews, both the flight instructor and the student were asked about the discrepancy between their statements. The flight instructor stated that the accident sequence was as he had stated in his written statement. He felt the student was not remembering approximately 20 seconds of the landing sequence. The student stated that the accident sequence was exactly as he had stated in his written statement. The student also stated that the purpose of the flight was to perform touch-and-go landings, not go-arounds. The student stated that the hard landing was only his third landing. He was unaware of what a go-around procedure was. The airplane was substantially damaged. A postimpact examination of the airplane systems revealed no anomalies. ## Factual narrative On February 2, 2005, approximately 1450 mountain standard time, a Cessna 172N, N618MN, piloted by a commercial certificated flight instructor, was substantially damaged during a hard landing at Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport (FNL), Loveland, Colorado. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The instructional flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The flight instructor and his student reported no injuries. The local flight originated at 1430. According to the written statement submitted by the flight instructor, he and his student were performing a touch-and-go landing on runway 15. During the landing flare, the flight instructor requested that the student perform a go-around and the student acknowledged. The instructor stated that the student added full power and "fully and abruptly moved the control yoke to its full forward limit." The instructor stated that he attempted to take control of the airplane; however, the nose gear impacted the runway and the airplane bounced. The instructor stated that he was able to land the airplane, following the bounce. He brought the airplane to a complete stop approximately 15 feet off of the left side of the runway. According to the written statement submitted by the student pilot, he performed what he felt was a "normal landing." He stated that he "held back the yoke"; however, the airplane bounced "slightly above normal" and touched down again. The student stated that upon the application of the brakes, the airplane began to "yaw to the left." The nose landing gear assembly collapsed and the firewall was wrinkled. A postimpact examination of the airplane systems, conducted by the FAA, revealed no anomalies. In two separate telephone interviews, both the flight instructor and the student were asked about the discrepancy between their statements. The flight instructor stated that the accident sequence was as he had stated in his written statement. He felt the student was not remembering approximately 20 seconds of the landing sequence. The student stated that the accident sequence was exactly as he had stated in his written statement. The student also stated that the purpose of the flight was to perform touch-and-go landings, not go-arounds. The student stated that the hard landing was only his third landing. He was unaware of what a go-around procedure was. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N618MN](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N618MN), registered now, S/N 172-69028, built 1977 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 172N - Registry model: [Cessna 172N](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172n) (registry code 2072434) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17269028 - Airframe hours: 9914 - Engines: Lycoming O-320-H2AD 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Patrick Hinton - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, November 8, 2004, 93 hours before - Departed: 3V5, FORT COLLINS, CO - Destination: 3V5 - Airport: FNL, Fort Collins-Loveland Muni, runway 15, 8,500 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 26; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, invalid medical for flight; last flight review October 14, 2004; seat: right; flight hours: 1,180 total, 700 in this make and model, 1,106 as pilot in command, 100 in the last 90 days, 47 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours - Student pilot; age 72; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 23 total, 23 in this make and model, 5 in the last 90 days, 5 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 230° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 46 °F, dew point 18 °F - Altimeter: 30.22 inHg - Observed at: FNL, 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20050202002039A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050202002039A), Feb 2, 2005: Cessna 172N, Fort Collins, CO, Substantial damage. (-23) Aircraft was touching down on runway 15 when aircraft bounced back into the air. Flight instructor called for a go-around, student pilot applied power… ## Other investigations on N618MN (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 DEN80FTE42](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN80FTE42), Apr 27, 1980: Cessna 172 (N618MN), Boulder, CO, substantial damage 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.