# NTSB ERA10CA363: Cessna 172S, N6064R, Chesapeake, VA, June 30, 2010 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: June 30, 2010, 12:00 local (16:00 UTC) - Place: Chesapeake, VA - Coordinates: 36.665554, -76.320556 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.6656&lon=-76.3206&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report December 20, 2010 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 76655 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA10CA363 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/76655/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=76655 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA10CA363 ## Probable cause A hard landing by person(s)unknown. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Action: incorrect action performance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Not specified (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 32 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015/cases.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 1,386 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md) ## Analysis During a preflight inspection of the airplane, a certificated flight instructor discovered substantial damage to the underside of the fuselage and reported it to the flight school. Upon further examination, substantial damage to the firewall was also found. Two days before the damage was discovered, the accident airplane underwent a routine phase inspection. The maintenance personnel who examined the airplane for the phase inspection did not report any damage at that time. According to flight school records, there were three flights between the maintenance inspection and the damage report. The first two flights, which occurred later on the same day as the phase inspection, were dual-instructional flights. The third flight, which occurred the next day, and the day before the damage was discovered, was a student pilot solo cross country flight. Interviews conducted by Federal Aviation Administration inspectors with the pilots of those flights failed to reveal who was responsible for the damage, when or where it occurred, or how it was caused. Also unknown, is why the student pilot did not observe the damage prior to his solo flight. ## Factual narrative During a preflight inspection of the airplane, a certificated flight instructor discovered substantial damage to the underside of the fuselage and reported it to the flight school. Upon further examination, substantial damage to the firewall was also found. Two days before the damage was discovered, the accident airplane underwent a routine phase inspection. The maintenance personnel who examined the airplane for the phase inspection did not report any damage at that time. According to flight school records, there were three flights between the maintenance inspection and the damage report. The first two flights, which occurred later on the same day as the phase inspection, were dual-instructional flights. The third flight, which occurred the next day, and the day before the damage was discovered, was a student pilot solo cross country flight. Interviews conducted by Federal Aviation Administration inspectors with the pilots of those flights failed to reveal who was responsible for the damage, when or where it occurred, or how it was caused. Also unknown, is why the student pilot did not observe the damage prior to his solo flight. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N6064R](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6064R), registered now, S/N 172S10246, built 2006 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172S - Registry model: [Cessna 172S](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172s) (registry code 2072439) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-360-L2A](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-360-l2a) (registry code 41597, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 172S10246 - Airframe hours: 969 - Engines: LYCOMING IO-360-L2A 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 91 - Operator: Horizon Flight Center - Registered owner: B & K Air LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: AAIP, June 28, 2010 - Departed: CPK, Chesapeake, VA - Destination: CPK, Chesapeake, VA - Flight plan: Unknown - Airport: CPK, Chesapeake Regional Airport, runway 05 ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Other flight crew; age 1; medical: unknown; flight hours: 0 total, 0 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day ## 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 20100630043179A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100630043179A), Jun 30, 2010: Cessna 172S, Substantial damage. During routine surveillance, discovered repairs being made to the aircraft as a result of an hard landing. ## Docket (11 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 22, 2010, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=76655. 982 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 - Completed by Flight School (item 1, .PDF, 552 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334892&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1%20-%20Completed%20by%20Flight%20School-Redacted.PDF - N6064R Flight Log (item 2, .PDF, 33 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334893&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=N6064R%20Flight%20Log-Redacted.PDF - McCarthy Statement (item 3, .PDF, 174 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334894&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=McCarthy%20Statement-Redacted.PDF - McCarthy Interview Summary (item 4, .PDF, 59 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334895&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=McCarthy%20Interview%20Summary-Redacted.PDF - Smith Statement - McCarthy's CFI (item 5, .PDF, 15 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334896&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Smith%20Statement%20-%20McCarthy%27s%20CFI-Redacted.PDF - Glasser Statement (item 6, .PDF, 12 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334897&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Glasser%20Statement-Redacted.PDF - Potluri Statement - Glasser's CFI (item 7, .PDF, 14 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334899&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Potluri%20Statement%20-%20Glasser%27s%20CFI-Redacted.PDF - Bosch Statement - CFI (item 8, .PDF, 26 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334900&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Bosch%20Statement%20-%20CFI-Redacted.PDF - Weather Reports: CPK METARs (item 9, .PDF, 20 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334901&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20Reports%3A%20CPK%20METARs-Master.PDF - Photograph #1 - Firewall Damage (photo courtesy of FAA) (item 10, .PDF, 42 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334902&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photograph%20%231%20-%20Firewall%20Damage%20(photo%20courtesy%20of%20FAA)-Master.PDF - Photograph #2 - Damage on Underside of Fuselage (photo courtesy of FAA) (item 11, .PDF, 35 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334903&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photograph%20%232%20-%20Damage%20on%20Underside%20of%20Fuselage%20(photo%20courtesy%20of%20FAA)-Master.PDF 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.