- Date
- April 13, 2023, 16:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- West Mifflin, PA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N544THTextron 172
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: 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
- 20230413002729A
- Case key
- 107202
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 improper landing flare, and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action, which resulted in a hard landing.
Findings · 3
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 student pilot reported that at about 8 to 10 ft above the ground the flight instructor shouted “FLARE, FLARE, FLARE!” The volume and intensity of the command startled the student pilot who pulled back sharply on the yoke and the airplane stalled. The flight instructor subsequently took control of the airplane and before he could take corrective action the airplane impacted the ground resulting in substantial damage to the lower fuselage. The flight instructor’s account of the event was similar to the student pilot’s. The operator reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N544TH
- Reported as
- Textron 172 (SP)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S12257
- Built
- 2018
- Airframe hours
- 4,069.4
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Pittsburgh Flight Training Center
- Registered owner
- Schreiner Air Investments LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 6, 2023
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- AGC · Allegheny County, runway 28, 6,501 × 150 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic multifunction display
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 32
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 13, 2022
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 248 total · 72 in this make and model · 192 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 31 total · 31 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- AGC
- METAR
- METAR KAGC 131953Z 21007KT 10SM CLR 27/03 A2993 RMK AO2 SLP131 T02720033
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 29, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 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.