- Date
- March 23, 2017, 15:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Timberlake, NC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3947RCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 17, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170323006209A
- Case key
- 94916
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 pitch control during the landing flare with a tailwind, which resulted in a propeller strike.
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
The solo student pilot reported that, during the landing flare, he "felt a big push from behind," which resulted in a propeller strike and substantial damage to the fuselage. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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, at the time of the accident, the wind was from 190° at 3 knots. The airplane landed on runway 6.
Factual narrative
The solo student pilot reported that, during the landing flare he "felt a big push from behind", which resulted in a propeller strike and substantial damage to the fuselage. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, at the time of the accident, the wind was from 190° at 3 knots. The airplane landed on runway 6.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3947R
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (H)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17255447
- Built
- 1966
- Airframe hours
- 2,600
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- S&C Aviation of NC, LLC
- Registered owner
- Kelly Site Development LLC.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 27, 2017
- Departed
- TDF · Roxboro, NC
- Destination
- TDF · Roxboro, NC
- Airport
- TDF · Person County, runway 6, 6,005 × 100 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
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 129 total · 28 in this make and model · 11 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.54 inHg
- Observed at
- KTDF
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 11, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.3 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.