- Date
- March 8, 2014, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Charlottesville, VA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5423JCessna 172N
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20140308003549A
- Case key
- 88943
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 pilot's inadequate landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing and substantial damage to the firewall.
Findings · 2
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 pilot, he established a "crab angle to track" the centerline of the runway and maintained about 70 knots on the final leg of the traffic pattern. He pulled the throttle to idle, began to flare the airplane, and the airplane touched down on the main wheels first. It became airborne again, touched down on the runway, and "bounced" a third time. Then, during the landing roll, the pilot was instructed by the air traffic controller to taxi to the ramp area. As the pilot attempted to maneuver the airplane, he realized that the nose landing gear was "rough" to handle. He notified air traffic control that he was having trouble with the landing gear, and the airplane was towed off the runway. During the accident sequence, the airplane incurred substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The wind reported at the airport around the time of the accident was calm.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he established a "crab angle to track" the centerline of the runway and maintained about 70 knots on the final leg of the traffic pattern. He pulled the throttle to idle, began to flare the airplane, and the airplane touched down on the main wheels first. It became airborne again, touched down on the runway, and "bounced" a third time. Then, during the landing roll, the pilot was instructed by the air traffic controller to taxi to the ramp area. As the pilot attempted to maneuver the airplane, he realized that the nose landing gear was "rough" to handle. He notified air traffic control that he was having trouble with the landing gear, and the airplane was towed off the runway. During the accident sequence, the airplane incurred substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The wind reported at the airport around the time of the accident was calm.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5423J
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17273787
- Built
- 1980
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Krist Ayre LLC
- Registered owner
- Krist Ayre LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- CHO · Charlottesville, VA
- Destination
- CHO · Charlottesville, VA
- Airport
- CHO · Charlottesville-Albemarle, runway 21, 6,801 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 17, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 124 total · 72 in this make and model · 8 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- CHO
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 22, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 9.2 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.