- Date
- June 21, 2016, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lancaster, OH
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N19820Cessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 18, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160621012379A
- Case key
- 93542
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 pilot's improper landing flare in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a hard 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 the purpose of the flight was to practice flight maneuvers. He recalled that upon conclusion of the maneuver practice, he made a normal approach to runway 28. He reported that during the landing flare he encountered a crosswind gust, the airplane floated, and the airplane landed hard. He recalled that after the hard landing, he was unsatisfied with his landing performance. The student pilot reported that he decided to takeoff, stayed in the pattern, landed with full flaps and more airspeed, and accomplished "a controlled, more smooth touchdown." However, when he showed up for his next flight three days later, he was informed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies with the airplane during his flight that would have prevented normal flight operations. The meteorological aerodrome report at the accident airport about the time of the accident indicated the wind direction was out of 270 degrees true at 9 knots, gusting to 19 knots.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to practice flight maneuvers. He recalled that upon conclusion of the maneuver practice, he made a normal approach to runway 28. He reported that during the landing flare he encountered a crosswind gust, the airplane floated, and the airplane landed hard. He recalled that after the hard landing, he was unsatisfied with his landing performance. The student pilot reported that he decided to takeoff, stayed in the pattern, landed with full flaps and more airspeed, and accomplished "a controlled, more smooth touchdown." However, when he showed up for his next flight three days later, he was informed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies with the airplane during his flight that would have prevented normal flight operations. The meteorological aerodrome report at the accident airport about the time of the accident indicated the wind direction was out of 270 degrees true at 9 knots, gusting to 19 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N19820
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (M)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17260783
- Built
- 1972
- Airframe hours
- 5,440
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Sundowner Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- Sundowner Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 7, 2016
- Departed
- LHQ · Lancaster, OH
- Destination
- LHQ · Lancaster, OH
- Airport
- LHQ · Fairfield County, runway 28, 5,004 × 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 71
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 61 total · 39 in this make and model · 39 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 9 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- KLHQ
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 18, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.7 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.
Other investigations on N19820 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.