- Date
- June 21, 2008, 13:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Tishomingo, OK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5178YCessna 172R
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20080621834259A
- Case key
- 68294
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 failure to maintain aircraft control, resulting in an inadvertent stall during the landing flare. Contributing factors in this accident was the terrain-induced turbulence, and the instructor's inadequate supervision of the pilot.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The private pilot receiving instruction was making a short field landing approach. The approach was "a little high" to clear trees that surrounded the airport. The pilot deployed full flaps, reduced power to 1,500 rpm, and slowed the airplane to 60 knots. Before crossing the tree line near the approach end of the runway, the pilot reduced power to idle. As the airplane approached ground effect regime, they encountered "a small amount of turbulence associated with the wind flowing over the trees." Before the flight instructor could react, they encountered "another small pocket of turbulence" and the airplane stalled. The pilot applied full power, then the flight instructor took control. He leveled the airplane and transitioned to the flare. The airplane touched down on the main landing gear "with force," followed by the nose gear, and bounced. A post-flight inspection after the landing revealed no apparent damage, but later examination by the school's maintenance staff revealed the firewall was wrinkled.
Factual narrative
On June 21, 2008, approximately 1300 central daylight time, a Cessna 172R, N5178Y, registered to and operated by Eastern Oklahoma State University and piloted by a private pilot under the supervision of a flight instructor, was substantially damaged during a hard landing at Tishomingo Airpark (0F9), Tishomingo, Oklahoma. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The instructional flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 without a flight plan. The flight instructor and private pilot were not injured. The local flight originated at Eaker Field (DUA), Durant, Oklahoma. approximately 1200. According to the accident report submitted by the flight instructor, the private pilot receiving instruction was making a short field landing approach. The approach was "a little high" to clear trees that surrounded the airport. The pilot deployed full flaps, reduced power to 1,500 rpm, and slowed the airplane to 60 knots. Before crossing the tree line near the approach end of the runway, the pilot reduced power to idle. As the airplane approached ground effect regime, they encountered "a small amount of turbulence associated with the wind flowing over the trees." Before the flight instructor could react, they encountered "another small pocket of turbulence" and the airplane stalled. The pilot applied full power, then the flight instructor took control. He leveled the airplane and transitioned to the flare. The airplane touched down on the main landing gear "with force," followed by the nose gear, and bounced. A post-flight inspection after the landing revealed no apparent damage, but later examination by the school's maintenance staff revealed the firewall was wrinkled.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5178Y
- Reported as
- Cessna 172R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17281099
- Airframe hours
- 2,449
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-369-L2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Eastern Oklahoma State University
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 1, 2008 · 18 hours before
- Departed
- DUA · Durant, OK
- Destination
- DUA
- Airport
- 0F9 · Tishomingo Airpark, runway 35, 3,100 × 60 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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 29
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 368 total · 228 in this make and model · 325 as pilot in command · 76 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 77 total · 19 in this make and model · 38 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- DUA, 21 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.