- Date
- April 24, 2009, 11:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Pinehurst, NC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N500TCCessna 172N
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090424006699A
- Case key
- 73761
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 student pilot's improper landing flare.
Findings · 2
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 student pilot reported that while on a solo flight during a normal approach to landing, the airplane was a "little fast" as he settled onto runway 23. The airplane bounced, and the pilot pitched the nose down to land. The propeller struck the runway and the airplane sustained structural damage to the firewall and tail tie-down. The winds reported at the airport about the time of the accident were from 220 degrees at 7 knots. The pilot did not report any mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that while on a solo flight during a normal approach to landing, the airplane was a "little fast" and settled onto runway 23. The airplane bounced, and the pilot pitched the nose down to land. The propeller struck the runway and the airplane sustained structural damage to the firewall and tail tie down. The winds reported at the airport about the time of the accident were from 220 degrees at 6 knots. The pilot did not report any mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N500TC
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17268188
- Airframe hours
- 5,031
- Engine
- reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Moore County Airport Authority
- Registered owner
- Moore County Airport Authority
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 3, 2009
- Departed
- SOP · Pinehurst, NC
- Destination
- SOP · Pinehurst, NC
- Airport
- SOP · Moore County Airport, runway 23, 5,503 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 80
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 46 total · 46 in this make and model · 14 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.28 inHg
- Observed at
- KSOP
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 22, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 498 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.