- Date
- December 21, 2017, 11:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Monroe, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4491RCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 27, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20171221024159A
- Case key
- 96590
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 yaw control during the landing flare and the flight instructor’s failure to take remedial action, which resulted in a hard landing.
Findings · 6
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 flight instructor reported that the student pilot began to flare for a touch-and-go landing when a wind gust yawed the airplane to the left. He added that the wind "dropped out," and the airplane landed hard with the nose low, which resulted in the nose landing gear collapsing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The flight instructor 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 5 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 140° at 6 knots. The flight instructor reported that the wind was variable at 10 knots, gusting to 20 knots. The airplane landed on runway 21.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that, the student pilot began to flare for a touch-and-go landing, when a wind gust yawed the airplane to the left. He added that the wind "dropped out", and the airplane landed hard with the nose low, which resulted in a nose landing gear collapse. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The flight instructor 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 5 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 140° at 6 knots. The flight instructor reported that the wind was variable at 10 knots, gusting 20 knots. The airplane landed on runway 21.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4491R
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (M)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17263233
- Built
- 1975
- Airframe hours
- 6,075
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2G, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Monroe Aviation School Of Flight LLC
- Registered owner
- Monroe Aviation School Of Flight LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 15, 2017
- Departed
- TTF · Monroe, MI
- Destination
- TTF · Monroe, MI
- Airport
- TTF · Custer, runway 21, 4,997 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 1, 2016
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 8,120 total · 7,935 as pilot in command · 33 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 60 total · 60 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.17 inHg
- Observed at
- KTTF
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 15, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.3 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.
Other investigations on N4491R · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.