- Date
- April 13, 2009, 16:50 local (20:50 UTC)
- Place
- York, PA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N144MECessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- 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
- 20090413048709A
- Case key
- 74294
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 recovery from a bounced landing.
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
According to the student pilot, the first landing attempt of the solo cross country flight resulted in a go-around. During his second attempt, the student pilot landed the airplane about one-third of the way down the 5,188-foot runway, "hard but smooth (not a bounce);" however, the airplane subsequently became airborne. The student pilot landed the airplane once more, and although he believed the “plane had safely and completely landed,” it became airborne yet again. At that point, the student pilot felt a go-around was not possible, and "pulled back" on the flight controls. The airplane then "probably stalled and dropped to the runway," the nose landing gear collapsed, and damage to the engine firewall and left wing resulted. Winds at the time were variable at 4 knots. No preaccident mechanical anomalies were noted by the student pilot.
Factual narrative
According to the student pilot, the first landing attempt of the solo cross country flight resulted in a go-around. During his second attempt, the student pilot landed the airplane about one-third of the way down the 5,188-foot runway, "hard but smooth (not a bounce);" however, the airplane subsequently became airborne. The student pilot landed the airplane once more, and although he believed the “plane had safely and completely landed,” it became airborne yet again. At that point, the student pilot felt a go-around was not possible, and "pulled back" on the flight controls. The airplane then "probably stalled and dropped to the runway," the nose landing gear collapsed, and damage to the engine firewall and left wing resulted. Winds at the time were variable at 4 knots. No preaccident mechanical anomalies were noted by the student pilot.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N144ME
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S8428
- Airframe hours
- 2,363
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Av-Ed Flight School
- Registered owner
- Bell Enterprises, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 17, 2009 · 24 hours before
- Departed
- JYO · Leesburg, VA
- Destination
- THV · York, PA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- THV · York Airport, runway 35, 5,188 × 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
- 66
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Unknown, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 48 total · 48 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- THV
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 15, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 MB 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.
Other investigations on N144ME · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.