- Date
- March 23, 2016, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Frederick, MD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N65329Cessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 3, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Baltimore FSDO (FAA)
- FAA report
- 20160323003519A
- Case key
- 92883
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 pitch control during the landing flare, which resulted in a hard bounced landing.
Findings · 4
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 his second solo flight he encountered a gust of wind during the landing flare and the airplane ballooned and then bounced twice on the nose wheel. After the second bounce, the student pilot applied full power and aborted the landing. The subsequent landing was uneventful and he taxied to the ramp. A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that during his second solo flight he encountered a gust of wind during the landing flare and the airplane ballooned and then bounced twice on the nose wheel. After the second bounce, the student pilot applied full power and aborted the landing. The subsequent landing was uneventful and he taxied to the ramp. A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N65329
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S9702
- Built
- 2004
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Empire Aviation and Leasing, doing business as Frederick Flight Center
- Registered owner
- Coppeler Enterprises LLC.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 1, 2016
- Departed
- FDK · Frederick, MD
- Destination
- FDK · Frederick, MD
- Airport
- FDK · Frederick Muni, runway 23, 5,219 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 52 total · 50 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- KFDK
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 27, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.6 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 N65329 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.