- Date
- August 30, 2016, 11:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Delta, UT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N734AVCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 10, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160830015529A
- Case key
- 94050
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 landing flare, which resulted in a hard, porpoised landing.
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
According to the student pilot, following the first leg of his solo cross-country flight, he entered the traffic pattern to land on runway 17 "because other traffic was using runway 17 even though winds were 050° at 3 knots." He reported that, as the airplane approached the runway, the airspeed was too high, and the airplane landed hard on the nosewheel and porpoised. He conceded, "I knew it was a hard landing, but did not hear the prop strike occur." The student pilot departed the airport and accomplished two approaches and a landing at a third airport before returning to his home airport where he accomplished two approaches, a landing, and then taxied to parking. The student pilot reported that he could have prevented the accident by performing a go-around when he realized that his approach speed was too high. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall. The student pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the engine or airframe that would have prevented normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the student pilot, following the first leg of his solo cross-country flight, he entered the traffic pattern to land on runway 17; "because other traffic was using runway 17 even though winds were 050° at 3 knots". He reported that as the airplane approached the runway, the airspeed was too high, and the airplane landed hard on the nose wheel and porpoised. He conceded, "I knew it was a hard landing, but did not hear the prop strike occur." The student pilot departed the airport, and accomplished two approaches and a landing at a third airport, before returning to his home airport where he accomplished two approaches, a landing, and then taxied to parking. The student pilot reported that he could have prevented the accident by performing a go around when he realized that his approach speed was too high. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall. The student pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the engine or airframe prior to the landing that would have prevented normal flight operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N734AV
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (N)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17268710
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 11,227.7
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Upper Limit Aviation, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Upper Limit Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 19, 2016
- Departed
- DTA · Delta, UT
- Destination
- DTA · Delta, UT
- Airport
- DTA · Delta Muni, runway 17, 5,502 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Electronic multifunction display
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 54.4 total · 37 in this make and model · 11.1 as pilot in command · 28.8 in the last 90 days · 25.5 in the last 30 days · 1.5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- KU24, 5 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 22, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.1 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.