- Date
- March 7, 2018, 09:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lakeland, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2221RCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing: 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
- 20180307001529A
- Case key
- 96842
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 crosswind conditions, which resulted in a bounced landing.
Findings · 4
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 the approach, the "winds got very powerful," He added that the winds were "too strong and out of [his] capacity and personal minimums." During the landing, the airplane landed flat and bounced twice. He then taxied to park without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. 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 system about 2 nautical miles from the accident site reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 340° at 9 knots, gusting to 15 knots. The student pilot landed on runway 27.
Factual narrative
The solo student pilot reported that during the approach, the "winds got very powerful". He added that, the winds were "too strong and out of [his] capacity and personal minimums". During the landing, the airplane landed flat and bounced a couple of times. He then taxied to park without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. 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 system about 2 nautical miles from the accident site reported, that about the time of the accident, the wind was from 340° at 9 knots, gusting to 15 knots. The student pilot landed on runway 27.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2221R
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (R)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17280681
- Built
- 1998
- Airframe hours
- 8,326.2
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- International Aero Academy
- Registered owner
- Christiansen Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 5, 2018
- Departed
- LAL · Lakeland, FL
- Destination
- LAL · Lakeland, FL
- Airport
- LAL · Lakeland Linder Rgnl, runway 27, 8,499 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 18
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 69.5 total · 69.5 in this make and model · 7.5 as pilot in command · 43.9 in the last 90 days · 37.2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 9 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- KLAL, 2 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 19, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 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.