- Date
- July 26, 2018, 17:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Spring, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N865CPCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180726018759A
- Case key
- 97973
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 a crosswind, which resulted in a hard 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 landing, he flared the airplane high, and it then landed hard. He added that the airplane "dipped," and he felt the nosewheel wobble. He then turned off the engine and "steered to the grass" off the runway. 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 student reported that the wind was from 110° at 6 knots. The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about 23 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 100° at 9 knots. The airplane landed on runway 35R.
Factual narrative
The solo student pilot reported that, during landing, he flared high, and the airplane landed hard. He added that the airplane "dipped", and he felt the nose wheel wobble. He then turned off the engine and "steered to the grass" off the runway. 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 pilot reported that the wind was from 110° at 6 knots. The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about 23 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 100° at 9 knots. The airplane landed on runway 35R.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N865CP
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (R)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17280602
- Built
- 1998
- Airframe hours
- 13,200.7
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- D&S Aviation LLC, doing business as United Flight Systems
- Registered owner
- D&S Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 25, 2018
- Departed
- DWH · Spring, TX
- Destination
- DWH · Spring, TX
- Airport
- DWH · David Wayne Hooks Memorial, runway 35R, 3,500 × 35 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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 79 total · 79 in this make and model · 7 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 97 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- KDWH, 1 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 30, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.9 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.