- Date
- April 20, 2016, 11:43 local (18:43 UTC)
- Place
- Camarillo, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6616DCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 14, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160420022019A
- Case key
- 93060
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 incorrect pitch control input, resulting in a porpoise during landing and substantial damage to the airplane's firewall.
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
According to the student pilot, during the second approach of his first solo flight he noticed that the wind direction changed from 230 degrees magnetic to 210 degrees magnetic, and the wind speed increased from 5 knots to 10 knots. He further reported that the traffic within the pattern was congested with five aircraft. He reported that during his approach, he fixated on his crosswind correction and touched down on the runway too fast, and the airplane bounced. He affirmed that his reaction to the bounce was to pitch the nose down and consequently the airplane porpoised down the runway. Substantial damage was sustained to the firewall. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies with the airplane prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operation.
Factual narrative
According to the student pilot, during the second approach of his first solo flight he noticed that the wind direction changed from 230 degrees magnetic to 210 degrees magnetic, and the wind speed increased from 5 knots to 10 knots. He further reported that the traffic within the pattern was congested with five aircraft. He reported that during his approach, he fixated on his crosswind correction and touched down on the runway too fast, and the airplane bounced. He affirmed that his reaction to the bounce was to pitch the nose down and consequently the airplane porpoised down the runway. Substantial damage was sustained to the firewall. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies with the airplane prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6616D
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (N)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17272903
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 9,242.5
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Camarillo Flight School
- Registered owner
- Sky Shares LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 14, 2016
- Departed
- CMA · Camarillo, CA
- Destination
- CMA · Camarillo, CA
- Airport
- CMA · Camarillo, runway 26, 6,013 × 150 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, Satellite tracking device, 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
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 42 total · 41 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KCMA, 1 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 11, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 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.