- Date
- March 28, 2015, 09:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Vernal, UT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2168DCessna 172S
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 1, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20150328005079A
- Case key
- 90957
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 student pilot's failure to maintain attitude control during landing flare.
Findings · 2
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 student pilot reported that he took off and maneuvered into the left traffic pattern. On final, the airplane was configured with 30 degrees of flaps with an approach speed of 70 knots. His flight instructor who was observing noted that during his first landing the nose wheel came in contact with the surface first, then his two main wheels, subsequently the airplane porpoised three times, the student pilot initiated a go-around, and landed without further incident. As a result of the hard landing, the flight instructor conducted a post flight inspection of the engine and airframe, substantial damage to the firewall was discovered. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that he took off and maneuvered into the left traffic pattern. On final, the airplane was configured with 30 degrees of flaps with an approach speed of 70 knots. His flight instructor who was observing noted that during his first landing the nose wheel came in contact with the surface first, then his two main wheels, subsequently the airplane porpoised three times, the student pilot initiated a go-around, and landed without further incident. As a result of the hard landing, the flight instructor conducted a post flight inspection of the engine and airframe, substantial damage to the firewall was discovered. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2168D
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S9649
- Built
- 2004
- Airframe hours
- 1,750.8
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- H & H Versatile Services Inc
- Registered owner
- H & H Versatile Services Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 2, 2015
- Departed
- VEL · Vernal, UT
- Destination
- VEL · Vernal, UT
- Airport
- VEL · Vernal Rgnl, runway 16, 6,201 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 25 total · 25 in this make and model · 18 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- KVEL
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 26, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 898 KB 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.