- Date
- July 3, 2015, 12:25 local (17:25 UTC)
- Place
- Lubbock, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6326JCessna 172N
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 12, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20150703009909A
- Case key
- 91511
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 improper flare during landing which resulted in abnormal runway contact and damage to the firewall.
Findings · 3
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 solo student pilot reported that the airspeed was too fast during the landing flare. The airplane bounced on the nose wheel landing gear twice and the nose wheel lost air pressure. A postflight inspection revealed substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported he should have gone around after the first bounce. The student pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The solo student pilot reported that the airspeed was too fast during the landing flare. The airplane bounced on the nose wheel landing gear twice and the nose wheel lost air pressure. A postflight inspection revealed substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported he should have gone around after the first bounce. The student pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6326J
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17273864
- Built
- 1980
- Airframe hours
- 14,549
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Hub City Aviation Inc
- Registered owner
- Hub City Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 30, 2015
- Departed
- SNK · Snyder, TX
- Destination
- LBB · Lubbock, TX
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- LBB · Lubbock Preston Smith Intl, runway 35L, 11,500 × 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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 58 total · 58 in this make and model · 16 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 23,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- KLBB
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 7, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.5 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.