- Date
- November 24, 2015, 10:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Gaithersburg, MD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N52632Cessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 14, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20151124022629A
- Case key
- 92378
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 a bounced landing, and a runway excursion.
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 during the second landing of his second solo flight, he flared too high above the runway. He reported that the airplane touched down, bounced twice, exited the runway to the left, bounced once in the grass and came to rest in the safety area between the runway and taxiway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that during the second landing of his second solo flight, he flared too high above the runway. He reported that the airplane touched down, bounced twice, exited the runway to the left, bounced once in the grass and came to rest in the safety area between the runway and taxiway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N52632
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (P)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17274571
- Built
- 1981
- Airframe hours
- 26,755
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- W I F A (Washington Intl Flight Academy)
- Registered owner
- W I F A (Washington Intl Flight Academy)
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 15, 2015
- Departed
- GAI · Gaithersburg, MD
- Destination
- GAI · Gaithersburg, MD
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- GAI · Montgomery County Airpark, runway 14, 4,202 × 75 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 22
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 30 total · 30 in this make and model · 30 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.39 inHg
- Observed at
- KGAI
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 8, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.2 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.
Other investigations on N52632 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.