- Date
- September 18, 2016, 11:50 local (18:50 UTC)
- Place
- Auburn, CA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7560DCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160918015719A
- Case key
- 94085
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, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing.
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
The pilot reported that during the landing touchdown, the airplane bounced hard, pitched up, and became airborne again. He further reported that he pushed the flight controls forward to lower the pitch attitude, and the airplane touched down again "abruptly" on the main landing gear, which was "almost immediately followed by the nose gear." During the landing roll, the airplane rolled to the left and the pilot "realized the nose gear had collapsed," because he could not steer the airplane. The airplane stopped off to the left edge of the runway. The firewall sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the landing touchdown, the airplane bounced hard, pitched up, and became airborne again. He further reported that he pushed the flight controls forward to lower the pitch attitude, and the airplane touched down again "abruptly" on the main landing gear, which was "almost immediately followed by the nose gear." During the landing roll, the airplane rolled to the left and the pilot "realized the nose gear had collapsed," because he could not steer the airplane. The airplane stopped off to the left edge of the runway. The firewall sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7560D
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (N)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17272922
- Built
- 1979
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Flying Vikings Inc.
- Registered owner
- Flying Vikings Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- HWD · Hayward, CA
- Destination
- AUN · Auburn, CA
- Airport
- AUN · Auburn Muni, runway 25, 3,700 × 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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 27, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 134 total · 103 in this make and model · 87 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KAUN
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 23, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.1 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.