# NTSB ERA17CA216: Cessna 172, N2460A, Emporia, VA, June 28, 2017 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: June 28, 2017, 12:45 local (16:45 UTC) - Place: Emporia, VA - Coordinates: 36.686943, -77.48278 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.6869&lon=-77.4828&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/090) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report October 24, 2018 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA / FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 95458 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA17CA216 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/95458/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=95458 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA17CA216 ## Probable cause The student pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed for landing and his improper landing flare and recovery from a bounced landing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172R, 75 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=2072401), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: landing flare](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172R, 37 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md?model=2072401), [All aircraft, 1,285 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: airspeed](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172R, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010/cases.md?model=2072401), [All aircraft, 1,681 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240); cases with it: [Cessna 172R, 19 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=2072401), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md) - [Approach-VFR pattern final: Attempted remediation/recovery](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060); cases with it: [Cessna 172R, 10 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md?model=2072401), [All aircraft, 1,422 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md) - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092); cases with it: [Cessna 172R, 34 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=2072401), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md) - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/090) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172R, 25 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/090/sequence.md?model=2072401), [All aircraft, 1,506 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/090/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Attempted remediation/recovery](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060); cases with it: [Cessna 172R, 10 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md?model=2072401), [All aircraft, 1,422 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230); cases with it: [Cessna 172R, 40 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md?model=2072401), [All aircraft, 4,585 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300); cases with it: [Cessna 172R, 39 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md?model=2072401), [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Cessna 172R, 46 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=2072401), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094); cases with it: [Cessna 172R, 10 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md?model=2072401), [All aircraft, 1,787 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md) ## Analysis The student pilot reported that the flight was his first solo cross-country, and the arrival and departure at his first airport were uneventful. About 8 miles from the second airport, he listened to the airport's automatic weather observation system, which reported that the wind was coming from 020° at 5 knots. He entered the left traffic pattern for runway 34, and while on the downwind leg abeam the end of the runway, he reduced engine power to idle and lowered the wing flaps to 10°. He then turned onto the left base leg and maintained 70 knots and lowered the wing flaps to 30° on final approach, maintaining an airspeed of "between 50 and 54 knots." At the runway numbers, he began to pull back on the control wheel to initiate the landing flare. The airplane's nose then abruptly pitched up and left, which he believed felt like a wind gust. He tried to correct by releasing back pressure on the control wheel and using rudder and ailerons to move back to the right, but the airplane was still left of the runway centerline. Subsequently, the airplane bounced hard numerous times, the propeller struck the runway, and the airplane then departed the runway to the left. During the runway excursion, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane skidded across a taxiway, eventually stopping in the grass. The fuselage and firewall were substantially damaged. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Review of the Pilot's Operating Handbook indicated that the airspeed for a normal landing should have been between 60 and 70 knots with the wing flaps down. ## Factual narrative The student pilot reported that the flight was his first solo cross-country, and the arrival and departure at his first airport was non-eventful. About 8 miles from the second airport, he listened to the airport's automatic weather observation system, which reported that the wind was coming from 020° at 5 knots. He entered the left traffic pattern for runway 34, and while on the downwind leg abeam the end of the runway, he reduced engine power to idle and lowered the wing flaps to 10°. He then turned onto a left base leg and maintained 70 knots, and lowered the wing flaps to 30° on final approach, maintaining an airspeed "between 50 and 54 knots". At the runway numbers he began to pull back on the control wheel to initiate the landing flare. The nose of the airplane then abruptly pitched up and to the left, which he believed felt like a gust of wind. He tried to correct by releasing back pressure on the control wheel, and using rudder and ailerons to move back to the right, but the airplane was still left of the runway centerline. Subsequently, the airplane bounced hard numerous times, the propeller struck the runway, and then departed the runway to the left. During the runway excursion, the nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane skid across a taxiway, eventually stopping in the grass. The fuselage and firewall were substantially damaged. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Review of the Pilot's Operating Handbook Indicated that airspeed for a normal landing should have been 60-70 knots with the wing flaps down. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N2460A](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N2460A), registered now, S/N 17280932, built 2000 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172 (R) - Registry model: [Cessna 172R](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172r) (registry code 2072401) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming I0360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (registry code 41515, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17280932 - Year built: 2000 - Airframe hours: 8033.6 - Engines: LYCOMING IO-360-L2A 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Epix Services LLC, doing business as Epix Aviation - Registered owner: Skydance Aviation LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, June 5, 2017 - Departed: PMZ, PLYMOUTH, NC - Destination: EMV, Emporia, VA - Airport: EMV, Emporia-Greensville Rgnl, runway 34, 5,010 × 100 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Stall warning system ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Student pilot; age 56; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 64 total, 43 in this make and model, 24 in the last 90 days, 24 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 230° at 3 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 46 °F - Altimeter: 30.21 inHg - Observed at: EMV ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20170628009609A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170628009609A), Jun 28, 2017: Cessna 172R, Emporia, VA, Substantial damage. The student pilot appears to have stalled the aircraft above the runway resulting in a hard landing and loss of directional control. Impact with the runway and… ## Other investigations on N2460A (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ERA25LA323](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA323), Aug 22, 2025: Cessna 172 (N2460A), Spring Hill, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing and substantial damage to the airplane’s fuselage. ## Docket (5 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 17, 2018, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=95458. 6.9 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 1.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40466684&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Student Pilot's Statement (item 2, .PDF, 285 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40466685&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Student%20Pilot%27s%20Statement-Master.PDF - Excerpt from Cessna 172RG Information Manual - Section 4 (Normal Procedures) (item 3, .PDF, 284 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40466686&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Excerpt%20from%20Cessna%20172RG%20Information%20Manual%20-%20Section%204%20(Normal%20Procedures)-Master.PDF - Weather Reports and Records - KEMV METARs (item 4, .PDF, 329 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40466687&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20Reports%20and%20Records%20-%20KEMV%20METARs-Master.PDF - Photo Array (item 5, .PDF, 13 photos, 4.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40466688&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%20Array-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.