- Date
- July 30, 2017, 13:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Carlsbad, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N497TCCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170730010199A
- Case key
- 95752
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 in gusting wind conditions.
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 landing, the airplane porpoised, and the propeller struck the runway. He added that he initiated a go-around, landed, and taxied back to the ramp without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and firewall. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about 37 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 250° at 8 knots, gusting 16 knots. The same weather observation station reported that, about 23 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 250° at 10 knots. The airplane was landing on runway 24.
Factual narrative
The solo student pilot reported that, during landing, the airplane porpoised and the propeller struck the runway. He added that he initiated a go-around, landed, and taxied back to the ramp without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and firewall. The 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 about 37 minutes before the accident the wind was from 250° at 8 knots, gusting 16 knots. The same weather observation station reported that about 23 minutes after the accident the wind was from 250° at 10 knots. The airplane was landing on runway 24.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N497TC
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S9870
- Built
- 2005
- Airframe hours
- 5,413
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Pinnacle Aviation Academy, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Pinnacle Aviation Services Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 20, 2017
- Departed
- RNM · Ramona, CA
- Destination
- CRQ · Carlsbad, CA
- Airport
- CRQ · Mc Clellan-Palomar, runway 24, 4,897 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Auto-pilot, 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
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 93.1 total · 92.9 in this make and model · 7.9 in the last 90 days · 3.7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 8 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- KCRQ
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 20, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 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.