- Date
- November 9, 2017, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Trenton, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2138WCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 14, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20171109018419A
- Case key
- 96330
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 improper landing flare, which resulted in a 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
According to the student pilot, during a solo flight, he stayed in the pattern and performed takeoffs and landings. During the third landing, the airplane was high, and his approach angle was steep. He reported that he reduced the power and trimmed the airplane for landing. During the touchdown, the airplane bounced twice, and the propeller struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the cabin floor. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the student pilot, during a solo flight, he stayed in the pattern and performed takeoffs and landings. During the third landing, the airplane was high, and his approach angle was steep. He reported that he reduced the power and trimmed the airplane for landing. During the touchdown, the airplane bounced twice, and the propeller struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the cabin floor. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2138W
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S9561
- Built
- 2003
- Airframe hours
- 4,734
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Christiansen Aviation Inc
- Registered owner
- Christiansen Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 17, 2017
- Departed
- TTN · Trenton, NJ
- Destination
- TTN · Trenton, NJ
- Airport
- TTN · Trenton Mercer, runway 24, 6,006 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot
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
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 30 total · 30 in this make and model · 0.2 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,900 ft broken
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- KTTN
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 25, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.8 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.
Other investigations on N2138W · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.