- Date
- May 5, 2018, 08:30 local (12:30 UTC)
- Place
- Fulton, NY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7762XCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 24, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180505004769A
- Case key
- 97219
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 hard, 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
The solo student pilot reported that, while practicing landings, he thought the wind was becoming "gusty," so he increased his approach speed. He added that, over the runway threshold, he reduced throttle and felt the airplane enter ground effect. The airplane landed hard, bounced, and landed hard a second time. The student pilot added full power and turned off carburetor heat, and the airplane landed hard a third time. The nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to rest in the grass next to the runway. 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. The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about 37 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 230° at 7 knots. The same automated station reported that, about 24 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 260° at 7 knots. The airplane landed on runway 24.
Factual narrative
The solo student pilot reported that, while practicing landings, he thought the wind was becoming "gusty", so he increased his approach speed. He added that, over the runway threshold, he reduced throttle and felt the airplane enter ground effect. The airplane landed hard, bounced, and landed hard a second time. The student pilot added full power and turned off carburetor heat, and the airplane landed hard a third time. The nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane came to rest in the grass next to the runway. 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. The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about 37 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 230° at 7 knots. The same automated station reported that, about 24 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 260° at 7 knots. The airplane landed on runway 24.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7762X
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17248262
- Built
- 1961
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- True Course Flight School
- Registered owner
- True Course LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- FZY · Fulton, NY
- Destination
- FZY · Fulton, NY
- Airport
- FZY · Oswego County, runway 24, 3,996 × 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 82 total · 82 in this make and model · 6 as pilot in command · 5.4 in the last 90 days · 1.1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KFZY
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 9, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.5 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.