- Date
- July 22, 2013, 08:00 local (12:00 UTC)
- Place
- New Smyrna Beach, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N121CWCessna 172S
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130722015869A
- Case key
- 87576
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 subsequent inadequate recovery from 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 student pilot reported that he was on his first solo flight. During his first landing as he flared the airplane, it landed hard and bounced on the runway multiple times. As the student pilot attempted to regain control of the airplane, the propeller contacted the runway. The student pilot brought the airplane to a full stop, and taxied off of the active runway to his awaiting instructor to inspect the airplane. They did not see any damage, and flew the airplane back to their home base. During a maintenance inspection it was discovered that the firewall was buckled. The student pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that he was on his first solo flight. During his first landing as he flared the airplane, it landed hard and bounced on the runway multiple times. As the student pilot attempted to regain control of the airplane, the propeller contacted the runway. The student pilot brought the airplane to a full stop, and taxied off of the active runway to his awaiting instructor to inspect the airplane. They did not see any damage, and flew the airplane back to their home base. During a maintenance inspection it was discovered that the firewall was buckled. The student pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N121CW
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S8975
- Airframe hours
- 10,916
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Phoenix East Aviation
- Registered owner
- Bravo Leasing LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 12, 2012 · 76 hours before
- Departed
- DAB · Daytona Beach, FL
- Destination
- EVB · New Smyrna Beach, FL
- Airport
- EVB · New Smyrna Beach, runway 25, 5,000 × 75 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
- 22
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 23 total · 23 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- EVB
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 14, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.6 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 N121CW · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.