- Date
- October 20, 2007, 11:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lufkin, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N172GHCessna 172R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20071020831659A
- Case key
- 67098
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Analysis
The 64-hour student pilot lost control of the airplane when the airplane bounced during a hard landing on runway 15. The pilot deployed full flaps soon after turning final approach; however, he believed that the airplane was too high on final approach so he elected to slip the airplane to increase his rate of descent while he attempted to maintain 70 knots on final approach. As the airplane approached the runway the pilot discontinued the landing slip; however, a high rate of descent had developed and the airplane landed hard. Following the hard landing, the airplane bounced and a porpoise developed. Examination of the airplane reveled that the nose gear tire had been blown during the hard landing. Further examination revealed that the engine firewall had sustained structural damage. The winds at the time of the mishap were reported from 190 degrees at 18 knots.
Factual narrative
The 64-hour student pilot lost control of the airplane when the airplane bounced during a hard landing on runway 15. The pilot deployed full flaps soon after turning final approach; however, he believed that the airplane was too high on final approach to elected to slip the airplane to increase his rate of descent while he attempted to maintain 70 knots on final approach. As the airplane approached the runway the pilot discontinued the landing slip; however, a high rate of descent had developed and the airplane landed hard. following the hard landing, the airplane bounced and porpoise developed. Examination of the airplane reveled that the nose gear tire had been blown during the hard landing. Further examination revealed that the engine firewall had sustained structural damage. The winds at the time of the mishap were reported from 190 degrees at 18 knots.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N172GH
- Reported as
- Cessna 172R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17280192
- Airframe hours
- 5,091
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Harvey and Rihn Aviation, Inc, doing business as Harvey & Rihn Aviation
- Registered owner
- Robert W. Nebel
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 1, 2007 · 70 hours before
- Departed
- T41 · La Porte, TX
- Destination
- KLFK · Lufkin, TX
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- KLFK · Angelina County Airport, runway 15, 4,309 × 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 64 total · 64 in this make and model · 6 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 18 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- KLFK
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.