- Date
- August 18, 2013, 19:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Middletown, DE
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N647SPCessna 172S
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear collapse
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 21, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130818016909A
- Case key
- 87889
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 · 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
According to the student pilot, this flight was her first solo flight and she successfully completed three solo landings. During the landing flare of the last approach, she stated that she became concerned with the airplane's speed and distance from the ground. The airplane impacted the ground “hard” and bounced. The student pilot released back pressure on the yoke and the airplane impacted the ground and bounced a second time. She stated that she pulled the throttle to near the idle position and the airplane hit the ground a third time and came to rest on the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the firewall. The student pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the student pilot, this flight was her first solo flight and she successfully completed three solo landings. During the landing flare of the last approach, she stated that she became concerned with the airplane's speed and distance from the ground. The airplane impacted the ground “hard” and bounced. The student pilot released back pressure on the yoke and the airplane impacted the ground and bounced a second time. She stated that she pulled the throttle to near the idle position and the airplane hit the ground a third time and came to rest on the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the firewall. The student pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N647SP
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S8054
- Airframe hours
- 4,204
- Engine
- Lycoming I0360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Harford Air services
- Registered owner
- Ck Leasing Services LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 6, 2013 · 89 hours before
- Departed
- 0W3 · Churchville, MD
- Destination
- 0W3 · Churchville, MD
- Airport
- EVY · Summit Airport, runway 35, 4,487 × 65 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
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 18, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 30 total · 4 in this make and model · 16 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 11,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- KILG, 10 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 25, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.7 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.