- Date
- July 24, 2010, 12:15 local (16:15 UTC)
- Place
- White Plains, NY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1166WCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 7, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100724040139A
- Case key
- 76850
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 and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action resulting in a bounced landing.
Findings · 3
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 certificated flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot were returning to the airport at the conclusion of a lesson. The CFI stated that the student was flying the airplane, and the landing approach was "stable and normal except for the fact that it was low." The CFI took control of the airplane, added power to avoid landing on the runway's displaced threshold, and transferred control back to the student. The CFI stated that the student reduced power "abruptly," and that the airplane's nose "dropped" and impacted the runway before he could recover. The CFI performed an aborted landing and subsequently landed normally. Later inspection of the airplane revealed damage to the engine firewall. The CFI stated that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The certificated flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot were returning to the airport at the conclusion of a lesson. The CFI stated that the student was flying the airplane, and the landing approach was "stable and normal except for the fact that it was low." The CFI took control of the airplane, added power to avoid landing on the runway's displaced threshold, and transferred control back to the student. The CFI stated that the student reduced power "abruptly," and that the airplane's nose "dropped" and impacted the runway before he could recover. The CFI performed an aborted landing, and subsequently landed normally. Later inspection of the airplane revealed damage to the engine firewall. The CFI stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1166W
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S10363
- Airframe hours
- 1,494
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Panorama Flight Service
- Registered owner
- CSA Fleet Leasing
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · July 16, 2010
- Departed
- HPN · White Plains, NY
- Destination
- HPN · White Plains, NY
- Airport
- HPN · Westchester County Airport, runway 29, 4,451 × 150 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 30, 2010
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 590 total · 389 in this make and model · 450 as pilot in command · 209 in the last 90 days · 58 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 10 total · 10 in this make and model · 10 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- HPN
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 3, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 556 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.