# NTSB FTW04LA146: Cessna 172P, N98885, Mesquite, TX, May 31, 2004 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 31, 2004, 15:20 local (20:20 UTC) - Place: Mesquite, TX - Coordinates: 32.74139, -96.524719 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.7414&lon=-96.5247&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report September 1, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Flight Standards District Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 59331 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW04LA146 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/59331/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW04LA146 ## Probable cause The student pilot's delayed landing flare and the improper supervision provided by the flight instructor. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - flare - delayed, dual student (cause) - supervision - improper, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - recovery from bounced landing - improper, pilot in command(cfi) - porpoise/pilot-induced oscillation - encountered, pilot in command(cfi) ## Analysis The single-engine airplane landed hard on Runway 35, during an instructional flight. The flight instructor reported that on final approach, the airspeed was at 65 knots and the student pilot was delaying the landing flare. The flight instructor allowed the student pilot to continue the landing because he expected the landing to "be flat and on all three wheels at the same time, then discuss the pros/cons of the approach to land during the taxi back." The instructor put his right hand on the yoke and started to add slight backpressure. At this time, the instructor's headset began to come off, preventing him from stating, "my controls;" however, he pulled back harder on the yoke when he noticed the student pilot was applying opposite pressure. The instructor was unable to raise the nose, thus resulting in a nose wheel first landing. After landing, the instructor grabbed the yoke with both hands and applied backpressure, and the airplane lifted off the ground. The instructor realized that something was wrong with the propeller, so he pulled the throttle and the mixture out and landed the airplane. As he lowered the nose, the airplane continued to nose-over. ## Factual narrative On May 31, 2004, approximately 1520 central daylight time, a Cessna 172P single-engine airplane, N98885, registered to and operated by American Flyers, Incorporated of Addison, Texas, sustained substantial damage following a hard landing on Runway 35 at the Mesquite Metro Airport (HQZ), near Mesquite, Texas. The flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The flight originated from Addison Airport (ADS), near Addison, Texas, approximately 1400 for private pilot training and to practice landings at HQZ. According to the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2), the flight instructor reported that on final approach to Runway 35, the airspeed was at 65 knots and the student pilot was delaying the landing flare. The flight instructor allowed the student pilot to continue the landing because he expected the landing to "be flat and on all three wheels at the same time, then discuss the pros/cons of the approach to land during the taxi back." The instructor put his right hand on the yoke and started to add slight backpressure. At this time, the instructor's headset began to come off, preventing him from stating, "my controls;" however, he pulled harder on the yoke when he noticed the student pilot was applying opposite pressure. The instructor was unable to raise the nose, thus resulting in a nose wheel first landing. After touchdown, the instructor grabbed the yoke with both hands and applied backpressure, and the airplane lifted off the ground. The instructor realized that something was wrong with the propeller, so he pulled the throttle and the mixture out and landed the airplane. As he lowered the nose, the airplane continued to nose-over. Runway 35 has a concrete surface, and was 5,999 feet long and 100 feet wide. Examination of the wreckage by an Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed impact damage to the nose landing gear and the firewall buckled. Examination of the flight instructor's logbook revealed that he had accumulated a total time of 2,759 flight hours, 2,428 hours of which as a flight instructor. Weather conditions at HQZ at 1505 were reported as winds from 090 degrees at 8 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, overcast skies at 5,000 feet, temperature 30 degrees Celsius, dew point 16 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 29.78 inches of mercury. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N98885](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N98885-2005-11-18), registration cancelled 2005-11-18, S/N 17276372, built 1985 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 172P - Registry model: [Cessna 172P](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172p) (registry code 2072436) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17276372 - Airframe hours: 17759.9 - Engines: Lycoming O-320 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: American Flyers, Incorporated - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, May 13, 2004, 53.5 hours before - Departed: ADS, Addison, TX - Airport: HQZ, Mesquite Metro Airport, runway 35, 5,999 × 100 ft, concrete ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 29; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review November 1, 2003; seat: right; flight hours: 2,759 total, 2,025 in this make and model, 2,694 as pilot in command, 176 in the last 90 days, 55 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours - Student pilot; injuries: none; seat: left ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 90° at 8 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 5,000 ft overcast - Temperature: 86 °F, dew point 61 °F - Altimeter: 29.78 inHg - Observed at: HQZ ## 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 20040531009429A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040531009429A), May 31, 2004: Cessna 172P, Mesquite, TX, Substantial damage. (-23) At approximately 13:30, 31 may 2004 a Cessna, model 172, registration N98885, was conducting flight training at Mesquite Hudson (khqz) airport. The… 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.