- Date
- December 2, 2017, 09:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Park Rapids, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N524NDCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 27, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20171202018649A
- Case key
- 96475
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 the propeller striking the ground.
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 director of aviation safety for the flight school reported that the student pilot was on her first solo cross-country flight and that, during the approach to land, the airplane was fast and high. Subsequently, the airplane landed nose low, and the propeller struck the ground. The student did not know the propeller or fuselage had been damaged during the landing and continued the rest of her intended flight without further incident. The next assigned flight crew discovered the damage, and an examination by the maintenance department revealed that the airplane had sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The director of aviation safety reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The director of aviation safety for the flight school reported, the student pilot was on her first solo cross-country flight, and that during the approach to land, the airplane was fast and high. Subsequently, the airplane landed nose low and the propeller struck the ground. The student did not know she had damaged the propeller or fuselage during the landing and continued the rest of her intended flight without further incident. The next assigned flight crew discovered the damage and an examination by the maintenance department revealed the airplane had sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The director of aviation safety reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N524ND
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S10979
- Built
- 2009
- Airframe hours
- 7,292.9
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- University Of North Dakota
- Registered owner
- University Of North Dakota
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- AAIP · November 16, 2017
- Departed
- GFK · Grand Forks, ND
- Destination
- PKD · Park Rapids, MN
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- PKD · Park Rapids Muni-Konshok Field, runway 18, 3,500 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, ADS-B, Video recording device, Stall warning system
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
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 74 total · 74 in this make and model · 5 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 25 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- KPKD
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 13, 2018, 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.