- Date
- November 4, 2016, 16:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Danville, KY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N456SPCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing: 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
- 20161104023319A
- Case key
- 94387
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 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 solo student pilot reported that, while on final approach following a cross-country flight, he experienced what felt like a down draft or wind shear. The airplane touched down hard on the runway, bounced, and on the second touchdown, the nosewheel impacted the surface first. The student pilot taxied the airplane to the ramp without further incident. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed substantial damage to the firewall. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located on the airport revealed that, about 5 minutes before the accident, the wind was 040° at 5 knots. The airplane landed on runway 30.
Factual narrative
The solo student pilot reported that while on final approach following a cross country flight, he experienced what felt like a down draft or wind shear. The airplane touched down hard on the runway, bounced, and on the second touchdown, the nose wheel impacted the surface first. The student pilot taxied the airplane to the ramp without further incident. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed substantial damage to the firewall. The student pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located on the airport, revealed that, about 5 minutes before the accident the wind was 040° at 5 knots. The airplane landed on runway 30.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N456SP
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S8320
- Built
- 1999
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Mike Pratt, doing business as Louisville Aviation
- Registered owner
- Records Services Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- LOU · Louisville, KY
- Destination
- DVK · Danville, KY
- Airport
- DVK · Stuart Powell Field, runway 30, 5,000 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 58 total · 58 in this make and model · 3 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.31 inHg
- Observed at
- KDVK
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 28, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 701 KB 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.