- Date
- October 8, 2024, 14:55 local (18:55 UTC)
- Place
- Louisville, KY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N640MGCessna 172
- 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
- 20241008015319A
- Case key
- 195413
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 pilot’s improper landing flare and control inputs, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing was the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action.
Findings · 4
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 pilot reported that she rented the accident airplane to gain proficiency flying from the right seat and had asked the flight instructor to sit in the left seat during the flight. While maneuvering the airplane through the final approach leg of the traffic pattern, the pilot reported making control adjustments to recover from a low and slow approach to land. She attempted to initiate a go-around, but utilizing muscle memory from flying from the left seat, she inadvertently reduced throttle and pushed the yoke forward resulting in a hard landing. The airplane bounced and the pilot applied full power, after which the flight instructor then took control of the airplane. The flight instructor flew another traffic pattern circuit and landed the airplane without further incident. The airplane’s floorboards and internal structure were later found to be substantially damaged. Both the pilot and the flight instructor reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N640MG
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (M)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17265248
- Built
- 1975
- Airframe hours
- 12,065.3
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Kentucky Flight Training Center, LLC
- Registered owner
- Whiskey Girl Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 9, 2024 · 49.1 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- LOU · Bowman Fld, runway 33, 3,580 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Stall warning system
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 34
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 9, 2024
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 292.3 total · 0.8 in this make and model · 215.9 as pilot in command · 6.2 in the last 90 days · 0 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 22, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 482.4 total · 10 in this make and model · 407.4 as pilot in command · 58.8 in the last 90 days · 39.1 in the last 30 days · 0.9 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- LOU
- METAR
- KLOU 081853Z VRB04KT 10SM CLR 21/02 A3003 RMK AO2 SLP168 T02110022
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 21, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 15.2 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.