- Date
- February 17, 2017, 11:50 local (16:50 UTC)
- Place
- Naples, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N737RTCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 22, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 94845
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 failure to maintain pitch control, which resulted in a hard 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 on the controls reported that, during landing while about 70 knots, the airplane buffeted and was pushed to the right of the runway centerline. The pilot recovered and realigned the airplane with the nose on the centerline. He reported that, when he entered the flare, the airplane encountered another wind gust, and the airplane ballooned. The airplane descended and pitched down and landed hard on the nose gear. The propeller struck the ground, and the pilot landed the airplane without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall. The METAR reported that the wind was variable at 05 knots about the time of the accident. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot on the controls reported that during landing about 70 kts. airspeed, the airplane buffeted and was pushed to the right of the runway centerline. The pilot recovered and realigned the airplane with the nose on the centerline. When the pilot entered the flair, he reported that the airplane encountered another wind gust and the airplane ballooned. The airplane descended and pitched down and landed hard on the nose gear. The propeller struck the ground and the pilot landed the airplane without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall. The meteorological aerodrome report identified that the wind was variable at 05 kts. about the time of the accident. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N737RT
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (N)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17269622
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 3,835.7
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 9, 2016
- Departed
- APF · Naples, FL
- Destination
- APF · Naples, FL
- Airport
- APF · Naples Muni, runway 05, 6,600 × 150 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 75
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 12, 2015
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,500 total · 900 in this make and model · 3,450 as pilot in command
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 23, 2007
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 20,836 total · 140 in this make and model · 15,705 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,200 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.80 inHg
- Observed at
- KAPF
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 31, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.1 MB in all.