- Date
- April 6, 2022, 10:05 local (14:05 UTC)
- Place
- Waterville, ME
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9440DCessna 172RG
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- 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
- FAA report
- 20220406005019A
- Case key
- 104909
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 incorrect landing flare, which resulted in a hard bounced landing and nose landing gear collapse.
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
The solo student pilot reported that following performing maneuvers in the local area he returned to the airport to complete touch-and-go landings. He had completed four landings and remained in the pattern for his fifth landing, in which he planned to do a soft field landing. Upon touchdown, the pilot described that a “hard bounce” sent the airplane back into the air. When the airplane touched down again, the nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane skidded to a stop on the runway. The fuselage and rudder sustained substantial damage. The student pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9440D
- Reported as
- Cessna 172RG (NO SERIES EXISTS)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172RG1162
- Built
- 1984
- Airframe hours
- 5,709
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-F1AG, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Airlink Flight School
- Registered owner
- Da42 LLC.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 22, 2021
- Departed
- WVL · Waterville, ME
- Airport
- WVL · Waterville Robert LaFleur Airport, runway 05-23, 5,500 × 100 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- 27
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 21 total · 21 in this make and model · 3 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KWVL, 1 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KWVL 061356Z AUTO 05007KT 10SM CLR 07/M08 A3004 RMK AO2 SLP200 T00721078=
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 17, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.2 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.