- Date
- September 25, 2012, 09:06 local (13:06 UTC)
- Place
- Richmond, KY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N53720Cessna 172P
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 19, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120925022289A
- Case key
- 85150
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 flare, which resulted in a hard landing, and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the student.
Findings · 4
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 flight instructor, while conducting touch-and-go takeoffs and landings with a student pilot, they made a “stabilized” approach to the runway with an increase in engine power due to a strong headwind. The student pilot flared the airplane high, and the airplane descended rapidly. The flight instructor took control of the airplane and added full engine power, but the airplane subsequently impacted the runway. The instructor continued with another takeoff, they flew around the pattern, and the student pilot made a full-stop landing and taxied back to the hangar. The instructor asked maintenance personnel to check the airplane before the next scheduled flight. The postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the firewall incurred substantial damage. The flight instructor reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the flight instructor, while conducting touch and go takeoffs and landings with a student pilot, they made a “stabilized” approach to the runway with an increase in engine power due to a strong headwind. The student pilot flared the airplane “high,” and the airplane descended rapidly. The flight instructor took control of the airplane, added full engine power, but the airplane subsequently impacted the runway. Then, flight instructor continued with another takeoff, they flew around the pattern, the student pilot made a full stop landing, taxied back to the hangar and the instructor pilot asked maintenance personnel to check the airplane before the next scheduled flight. The post-accident examination of the airplane revealed that the firewall incurred substantial damage. The flight instructor reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N53720
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17274807
- Airframe hours
- 9,810
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Eastern Kentucky University
- Registered owner
- Christiansen Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 31, 2012 · 96 hours before
- Departed
- I39 · Richmond, KY
- Destination
- I39 · Richmond, KY
- Airport
- I39 · Madison, runway 18, 4,404 × 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 · 3
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 27
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 29, 2012
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,300 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 3,200 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 19
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 9 total · 9 in this make and model
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 19
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 10 total · 10 in this make and model · 10 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- I39, 1 nm away
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 19, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.9 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.