- Date
- April 6, 2017, 12:05 local (17:05 UTC)
- Place
- San Marcos, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2477FCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170406003929A
- Case key
- 94998
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 · 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 solo student pilot reported that, during the landing flare, he "pulled aft yoke," which resulted in a "substantial balloon." He added that he "unconsciously pushed forward yoke resulting in a very hard flat or nose wheel first landing." The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and fuselage. The student pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The solo student pilot reported that, during the landing flare he "pulled aft yoke" which resulted in a "substantial balloon." He added that, he "unconsciously pushed forward yoke resulting in a very hard flat or nose wheel first lading". The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and fuselage. The student pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2477F
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S10574
- Built
- 2007
- Airframe hours
- 3,436.4
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Coast Flight Training.
- Registered owner
- Christiansen Aviation Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 11, 2017
- Departed
- HYI · San Marcos, TX
- Destination
- HYI · San Marcos, TX
- Airport
- HYI · San Marcos Regional, runway 13, 5,601 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 34
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 1,672.1 total · 7.1 in this make and model · 1,465 as pilot in command · 72.1 in the last 90 days · 7.1 in the last 30 days · 1.5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.29 inHg
- Observed at
- KHYI
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 2, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 11.9 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.