- Date
- July 2, 2018, 07:20 local (11:20 UTC)
- Place
- Troy, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6508KCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180702009039A
- Case key
- 97675
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 failure to maintain a proper landing flare, which resulted in a hard, porpoised landing during an aborted go-around.
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, during landing, the airplane slowed, and the stall warning sounded as the main landing gear contacted the runway. He added that it appeared that the airplane had landed, but he then observed the nose drop below the horizon. He added power to go around, but the nosewheel impacted the runway, and the airplane pitched "rearward." Subsequently, the airplane porpoised, the nose landing gear strut collapsed, and he aborted the go-around. The student taxied the airplane to park without further incident. The flight instructor reported that he witnessed that the airplane on approach was a little flat but did not appear to be unstable. The student then pitched the airplane for the numbers, the airplane floated down the runway, and it then touched down in a flat attitude. Subsequently, the airplane bounced 2 to 3 ft, porpoised, and the student was then able to taxi from the runway. The flight instructor added that the student was too late on the flare and that all of the energy came down on the nosewheel. 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 at the airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 250° at 7 knots. The student pilot landed the airplane on runway 27.
Factual narrative
The solo student pilot reported that during landing, the airplane slowed, and the stall warning sounded as the main landing gear contacted the runway. He added that, it appeared that the airplane had landed, but he then observed the nose drop below the horizon. He added power to go around, but the nose wheel impacted the runway and the airplane pitched "rearward". Subsequently, the airplane porpoised, the nose landing gear strut collapsed, and he aborted the go around. The student taxied the airplane to park without further incident. The flight instructor reported that, he witnessed that the airplane on approach was a little flat but did not appear to be unstable. The student then pitched the airplane for the numbers, the airplane floated down the runway, and touched down in a flat attitude. Subsequently, the airplane bounced 2 to 3 ft in the air, porpoised, and the student was then able to taxi from the runway. The flight instructor added that, the student was too late on his flare and all of the energy came down on the nose wheel. 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 system at the accident airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 250° at 7 knots. The student pilot landed on runway 27.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6508K
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (P)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17274205
- Built
- 1980
- Airframe hours
- 9,945
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 30, 2018
- Departed
- VLL · Troy, MI
- Destination
- VLL · Troy, MI
- Airport
- VLL · Oakland/Troy, runway 27, 3,549 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 46.5 total · 40.5 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Turbulence
- Light
- Observed at
- KVLL
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 15, 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.
Other investigations on N6508K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.