# NTSB ERA21LA180: Cessna 172S, N22467, Orangeburg, SC, April 6, 2021

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: April 6, 2021, 13:20 local (17:20 UTC)
- Place: Orangeburg, SC
- Coordinates: 33.456918, -80.859407 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.4569&lon=-80.8594&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: 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): 102897
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA21LA180
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/102897/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=102897
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA21LA180

## Probable cause

The student pilot’s improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a hard landing.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [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)
- [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · 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)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Landing-flare/touchdown: 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 student pilot reported that he was conducting a solo cross-country flight and during the first landing, the approach was fast, the airplane porpoised twice, and touched down hard. He added power on the second bounce and the airplane began to fly again but was too far down the runway to land. There was an intersecting runway to the right, so he turned slightly and landed on that runway. Once the nose landing gear contacted the runway it collapsed, the airplane veered to the right, and then came to rest off the right side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N22467](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N22467), registered now, S/N 172S10487, built 2007 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172S
- Registry model: [Cessna 172S](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172s) (registry code 2072439) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-360-L2A](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-360-l2a) (registry code 41597, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 172S10487
- Year built: 2007
- Airframe hours: 6057.8
- Engines: Lycoming IO-360-L2A 180 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Instructional, Part 91
- Operator: Eagle Aviation Inc
- Registered owner: Eagle Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: 100 hour, March 31, 2021, 17.5 hours before
- Departed: CUB, Columbia, SC
- Destination: Same as departure
- Flight plan: VFR
- Airport: OGB, Orangeburg Muni, runway 17/35, 5,399 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment: Stall warning system, ADS-B, Electronic primary flight display, Auto-pilot, Electronic multifunction display

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 49; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 30 total, 27 in this make and model, 30 in the last 90 days

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 230° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observed at: OGB
- METAR: METAR KOGB 061753Z AUTO 23008KT 10SM CLR 28/04 A3006 RMK AO2 SLP176 T02780039 10278 20094 58022=

## 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 20210406004609A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210406004609A), Apr 6, 2021: Cessna 172S, Orangeburg, SC, Substantial damage. On April 6, 2021 at appox 1300 eastern standard time this aircraft experienced a front gear collapse during landing on runway 35 at Orangeburg Municipal…

## Docket (3 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 19, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=102897. 3.9 MB in all.

- Pilot aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 1.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12518253&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=NTSB%206120%20_04162021_Final_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Mor - pilot statement (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 163 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12322543&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Memorandum%20for%20Record-Pilot%20statement_ERA21LA180-Rel.pdf
- Investigative photographs (item 3, PDF, 3 pages, 1.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12322553&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Investigative%20Photographs%20-%20ERA21LA180-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.

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