# NTSB ERA24LA329: Cessna 172P, N291RP, Moultonborough, NH, July 27, 2024

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: July 27, 2024, 13:18 local (17:18 UTC)
- Place: Moultonborough, NH
- Coordinates: 43.767457, -71.387626 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.7675&lon=-71.3876&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): 194792
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA24LA329
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/194792/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194792
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA24LA329

## Probable cause

The student pilot’s improper remedial response to a bounced landing, 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 172P, 76 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=2072436), [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 172P, 39 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=2072436), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The student pilot reported that after completing 3 three takeoffs and landings with his instructor, he departed on the supervised solo instructional flight. He completed one traffic pattern, determined he was “a little high” and performed a go go-around. During the second approach, he said that at 60 knots, the nosewheel struck the runway first. His remedial action was to “pull back on the control yoke to correct the attitude of the plane” but the nose “ballooned” up and the airplane landed hard on the nose landing gear, separating it, and substantially damaging the airplane. The operator and the flight instructor reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane that would have prevented normal operation.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N291RP](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N291RP), registered now, S/N 17274327, built 1981 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172P
- Registry model: [Cessna 172P](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172p) (registry code 2072436) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming O-320-D2J](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-320-d2j) (registry code 41595, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 17274327
- Year built: 1981
- Airframe hours: 11991
- Engines: LYCOMING O-320-D2J 160 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Instructional, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, March 5, 2024, 47 hours before
- Destination: Same as departure
- Airport: 4MB, Moultonborough, runway 02, 3,505 × 50 ft, asphalt
- Equipment: ADS-B, Stall warning system

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 47; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 41.2 total, 41.2 in this make and model

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 260° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 81 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observed at: 1P1, 16 nm away
- METAR: K1P1 271715Z AUTO 26003KT 10SM CLR 27/12 A3013 RMK AO2 T02680120

## 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 20240727010189A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240727010189A), Jul 27, 2024: Cessna 172P, Moultonborough, NH, Substantial damage. Dra event id: 877464, Moultonborough, NH (4MB): C172 landed runway 2 nose first causing the nose gear to Separate from the aircraft and then flip over. POB: 1,…

## Other investigations on N291RP (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 ERA20CA114](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20CA114), Feb 26, 2020: Cessna 172 (N291RP), Everglades City, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during the landing flare in gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in the left wing striking the runway.

## Docket (6 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 20, 2025, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194792. 3.2 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 memorandum for record (item 1, PDF, 1 page, 70 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17608421&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Memorandum%20for%20Record%20Brandon%20Boudreau-Rel.pdf
- Student pilot's statement (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 156 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17608441&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Student%20Pilot%20Statement_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- FAA inspector's statement (item 3, PDF, 3 pages, 159 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17608346&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%20Statement_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- FAA inspector's statement (email excerpt) (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 74 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17687133&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Memorandum%20for%20Record%20Richard%20Brown-Rel.pdf
- Annual inspection (item 5, PDF, 1 page, 1.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17608717&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Reduced%20N291RP%20Airframe%20Annual%20Inspection%2003-05-24_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Photo array (item 6, PDF, 4 pages, 1.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17990820&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Array_Redacted-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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