- Date
- June 29, 2016, 08:45 local (12:45 UTC)
- Place
- Frederick, MD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2473GCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 5, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160629010199A
- Case key
- 93493
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 pitch control during the touch down resulting in a bounced landing, subsequent hard landing and substantial 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 student pilot of the tricycle landing gear-equipped airplane reported that he executed a normal approach to the asphalt runway. He recalled that the airplane touched down on the main landing gear and bounced. He reported that when the airplane settled to the runway after it bounced, the nose gear struck the ground hard. The student pilot taxied the airplane to the ramp per the control tower's instruction and shut down. A post flight examination of the airplane by the flight school revealed substantial damage to the firewall. The student pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operations.
Factual narrative
The student pilot of the tricycle landing gear-equipped airplane reported that he executed a normal approach to the asphalt runway. He recalled that the airplane touched down on the main landing gear and bounced. He reported that when the airplane settled to the runway after it bounced, the nose gear struck the ground hard. The student pilot taxied the airplane to the ramp per the control tower's instruction and shut down. A post flight examination of the airplane by the flight school revealed substantial damage to the firewall. The student pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2473G
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (R)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17281019
- Built
- 2001
- Airframe hours
- 9,934.3
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Frederick Flight Center
- Registered owner
- Rg Acquisitions LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 1, 2016
- Departed
- FDK · Frederick, MD
- Destination
- FDK · Frederick, MD
- Airport
- FDK · Frederick Muni, runway 30, 3,600 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- None
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
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 1, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 49 total · 32 in this make and model · 2 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- KFDK
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 3, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.7 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.