- Date
- September 27, 1999, 11:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Longview, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5374JCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 30, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990927043049A
- Case key
- 47459
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 touchdown technique, which resulted in the airplane porpoising.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot allowed the airplane to touchdown on the nose landing gear. The airplane porpoised, and the nose landing gear collapsed, buckling the firewall.
Factual narrative
On September 27, 1999, approximately 1100 central daylight time, a Cessna 172N airplane, N5374J, was substantially damaged during a hard landing at the Gregg County Airport near Longview, Texas. The private pilot, who was the owner and operator of the airplane, and his passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The cross-country flight originated from Memphis, Tennessee, with a final destination of San Antonio, Texas.
In the enclosed Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2), the pilot stated that he was landing on runway 13 and "touched down on the nose wheel first which caused the airplane to porpoise." The nose landing gear collapsed, buckling the firewall. The propeller and engine also sustained damage.
At 1050, the Gregg County Airport weather observation facility reported the wind from 190 degrees at 10 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5374J
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17273767
- Airframe hours
- 2,287
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Joseph Russell
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 16, 1998 · 133 hours before
- Departed
- MEM · Memphis, TN
- Destination
- GGG · Longview, TX
- Airport
- GGG · Gregg County, runway 13, 10,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 32
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 122 total · 113 in this make and model · 83 as pilot in command · 37 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GGG
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.