# NTSB ERA24LA352: Cessna 172, N9991E, Danville, KY, July 19, 2024 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: July 19, 2024, 16:00 local (20:00 UTC) - Place: Danville, KY - Coordinates: 37.577575, -84.769498 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.5776&lon=-84.7695&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: 3 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): 194966 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA24LA352 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/194966/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194966 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA24LA352 ## Probable cause The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane while landing and his inadequate communication to the pilot-rated passenger of her role during the flight. ## 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 · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 150 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=2072434), [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 172N, 38 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 1,285 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: directional control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 82 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 3,958 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md) - [Communication (personnel): lack of communication](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063510): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063510/cases.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 84 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063510/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 172N, 46 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md) - [Landing: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 81 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 4,585 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md) - [Landing: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 81 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md) - [Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 134 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The private pilot (who was the pilot-in-command for the flight) was flying with two passengers, one of whom was seated in the right front pilot seat, held a commercial pilot certificate, and had more flight experience than the private pilot. The pilot-rated passenger in the right front seat reported that during the approach, she had commented to the pilot twice about the airplane’s airspeed, and that she had nudged the yoke forward with one finger as an indication to the pilot to lower the nose; however, the pilot pulled back on the yoke and added power to cushion the landing, which resulted in several bounces on the runway before the airplane traveled off the left side. She further described that the landing flare occurred while the airplane too high above the runway and at too slow a speed, about 15 ft above the runway and at an airspeed decreasing to less than 50 knots. The pilot reported that during the landing attempt, after the pilot-rated passenger pushed the yoke forward, he pulled back because he did not want the nose of the airplane to strike the runway first, which resulted in a hard landing and subsequent bounce. As the pilot was attempting to regain control of the airplane, the pilot-rated passenger increased the engine power to full in attempt to abort the landing, but the airplane then veered to the left and departed the runway surface. The airplane came to rest upright in a grass area next to the runway. The fuselage was substantially damaged during the accident sequence. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. He also stated that, “…we will need to improve the communication between me as the PIC and [any pilot-rated passengers] such as informing me of their concern rather than touching the control, especially during landing.” ## Aircraft - Registration: [N9991E](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9991E), registered now, S/N 17272308 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172 (N) - Registry model: [Cessna 172N](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172n) (registry code 2072434) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17272308 - Engines: Lycoming O-320 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Wings Flight Enterprises Inc - Registered owner: Wings Flight Enterprises Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: DKK, Knoxville, TN - Destination: Same as departure - Airport: DVK, Stuart Powell, runway 13, 5,000 × 75 ft, asphalt - Equipment: ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 30; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review August 14, 2023; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 148 total, 26 in this make and model, 93 as pilot in command, 8 in the last 90 days, 7 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours - Pilot-rated passenger; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; seat: right; restraint: 3-point ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 220° at 3 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 84 °F, dew point 55 °F - Altimeter: 30.09 inHg - Observed at: DVK - METAR: KDVK 191950Z AUTO 22003KT 10SM CLR 29/13 A3009 ## 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 20240719018389A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240719018389A), Jul 19, 2024: Cessna 172N, Danville, KY, Substantial damage. On July 19, 2024, at the Danville, KY, airport (dvk) at approximately 1800 EDT, a private pilot was piloting a CESSNA172N (serial #17272308) with 2 passengers… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 19, 2024, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194966. 3.7 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 2.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17681476&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Pilot rated passenger statement (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 50 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17680665&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Pilot%20Rated%20Passenger%20Statement-Rel.pdf - Investigation photographs (item 3, PDF, 3 pages, 2 photos, 1.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17714724&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Investigation%20Photographs_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. --- 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.