- Date
- January 12, 2017, 12:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Punta Gorda, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N10897Cessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 22, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170112000319A
- Case key
- 94648
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 proper pitch control, 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 student pilot reported that, during his solo cross-country flight, he performed touch-and-go landings and takeoffs. The student pilot reported that there was a notice to airman identifying that the precision approach path indicator (PAPI) lighting was not in service at the second of three airports on his itinerary. The student pilot was cleared for a touch-and-go at the airport with no PAPI, and he reported that his landing was flat. He recalled that the airplane bounced but that he completed the touch-and-go and departed the airport for the final leg of his itinerary. He reported that he landed and shut down the airplane at his home airport, and "it was then that I noticed the bent prop tips. I immediately notified management." Further examination of the airplane by the operator revealed substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that during his solo cross-country flight, he performed touch and go landings and takeoffs. The student pilot reported that there was a notice to airman identifying that the precision approach path indicator (PAPI) lighting was not in service at the second of three airports on his itinerary. The student pilot was cleared for a touch and go at the airport with no PAPI and he reported that his landing was flat. He recalled that the airplane bounced but he completed the touch and go, and departed the airport for the final leg of his itinerary. He landed and shut down the airplane at his home airport, and "it was then that I noticed the bent prop tips. I immediately notified management." Further inspection of the airplane by the operator revealed substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N10897
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S10606
- Built
- 2007
- Airframe hours
- 5,147.5
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Paragon Flight Training Co
- Registered owner
- Paragon Flight Training Co
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · January 10, 2017
- Departed
- PGD · Punta Gorda, FL
- Destination
- FMY · Fort Myers, FL
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- PGD · Punta Gorda Airport, runway 04, 7,193 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display
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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 56.5 total · 56.5 in this make and model · 4.6 as pilot in command · 14.6 in the last 90 days · 6.3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.34 inHg
- Observed at
- PGD
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 7, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.6 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.