# NTSB ERA20CA263: Cessna 172, N173ME, Prattville, AL, July 5, 2020 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report - Date: July 5, 2020, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC) - Place: Prattville, AL - Coordinates: 32.43861, -86.517776 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.4386&lon=-86.5178&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 101697 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA20CA263 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/101697/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101697 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20CA263 ## Probable cause The student pilot's failure improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard 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 172S, 206 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=2072439), [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 172S, 99 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 1,285 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: descent/approach/glide path](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062040): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not specified; cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 18 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062040/cases.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 809 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062040/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md) ## Analysis The solo student pilot had not flown recently and reported that he planned to complete a refresher flight. During the first landing of the flight, on the final approach, the airplane's glide path was "too high and too steep," and he flared the airplane too late. The airplane then landed nosewheel first and bounced twice. The pilot aborted the landing, landed again, then returned to his home airport. Postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the fuselage was substantially damaged. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N173ME](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N173ME), registered now, S/N 172S8455, built 2000 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 172 (S) - Registry model: [Cessna 172S](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172s) (registry code 2072439) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming I0360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (registry code 41515, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 172S8455 - Year built: 2000 - Airframe hours: 9681.1 - Engines: Lycoming IO360 L2A 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Box Aviation Inc - Registered owner: Box Aviation Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, May 20, 2020, 101 hours before - Departed: MGM, Montgomery, AL - Destination: 1A9, Prattville, AL - Airport: 1A9, Prattville - Grouby Field, runway 09, 5,400 × 100 ft, asphalt - Equipment: ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Stall warning system ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Student pilot; age 56; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 18.5 total, 18.5 in this make and model, 3 as pilot in command, 5.9 in the last 90 days, 3.7 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 90° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 88 °F, dew point 73 °F - Altimeter: 29.93 inHg - Observed at: 1A9 ## 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 20200705007999A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200705007999A), Jul 5, 2020: Cessna 172S, Prattville, AL, Substantial damage. Student pilot performing a solo practice approach to landing at Prattville, AL (1A9). Upon landing the aircraft landed hard resulting in the aircraft bouncing… ## Docket (5 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 12, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101697. 18.2 MB in all. - Pilot aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 13 pages, 7.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=10069685&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120%20Pilot%20signed_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 2, PDF, 9 pages, 6.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=10069847&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120%20Operator%20Signed_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Pilot statements (item 3, PDF, 2 pages, 2.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=10070396&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Pilot%20Statements_Redacted-Rel.pdf - FAA inspector statement (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 55 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=10070405&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Record%20of%20Conversation%20FAA%20Inspector-Rel.pdf - Photos (item 5, PDF, 4 pages, 1.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=10069765&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Array-Rel.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.