- Date
- May 25, 2018, 23:00 local (May 26, 2018, 03:00 UTC)
- Place
- Westminster, MD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N789EPCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report November 5, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180525005919A
- Case key
- 97414
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 pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard 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 pilot reported that, during short final at night, he reduced power to idle, and the airplane descended rapidly and landed hard in a flat attitude. He added that, after touchdown, the airplane bounced, and he applied full power to go around. He entered the traffic pattern and then landed without further incident. Postaccident examination 3 days after the accident revealed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during short final at night, he reduced power to idle and the airplane descended rapidly and landed hard in a flat attitude. He added that, after touchdown the airplane bounced, and he applied full power to go around. He entered the traffic pattern and then landed without further incident. Postaccident examination three days later revealed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N789EP
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S8135
- Built
- 1999
- Airframe hours
- 6,735.6
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Dream Aviation Inc
- Registered owner
- Dream Flight LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 16, 2018
- Departed
- WWD · Wildwood, NJ
- Destination
- DMW · Westminster, MD
- Airport
- DMW · Carroll County Rgnl/Jack B Poa, runway 16, 5,100 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 12, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 59.7 total · 59.7 in this make and model · 24.6 as pilot in command · 8.3 in the last 90 days · 6.4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- KDMW
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 28, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.0 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 N789EP · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.