- Date
- November 14, 2017, 10:35 local (15:35 UTC)
- Place
- Columbus, OH
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N30SUTextron 172
- Defining event
- Landing: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 21, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20171114021109A
- Case key
- 96331
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 porpoise.
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 a touch-and-go landing, the airplane landed flat. He added that the airplane porpoised and that he heard a "thump." The student pilot performed a go-around, entered the traffic pattern, and landed without further incident. The airplane sustained 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.
Factual narrative
The solo student pilot reported that, during a touch-and-go landing, he landed flat. He added that the airplane porpoised and he heard a "thump". The student pilot performed a go-around, entered the traffic pattern, and landed without further incident. The airplane sustained 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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N30SU
- Reported as
- Textron 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S11625
- Built
- 2015
- Airframe hours
- 1,308.9
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Ohio State University Airport
- Registered owner
- Ohio State University Airport
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 27, 2017
- Departed
- OSU · Columbus, OH
- Destination
- OSU · Columbus, OH
- Airport
- OSU · Ohio State University, runway 27L, 5,004 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Electronic multifunction display, Stall warning system, 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
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 47 total · 47 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.39 inHg
- Observed at
- KOSU
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 18, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.1 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.