- Date
- August 20, 2018, 15:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Burlington, VT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N557SPCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180820011889A
- Case key
- 98280
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 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, during approach, he was struggling to keep the airspeed at 60 to 70 knots, so he entered a side slip and reduced the power to idle. Once assured the airplane would reach the runway, he aligned the airplane with the runway. The airplane landed on the left main landing gear, bounced, and the student performed a go-around. He entered the left traffic pattern and landed without further incident. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the firewall and 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 station located on the airport reported that, about 6 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 270° at 6 knots. The airplane landed on runway 33.
Factual narrative
The solo student pilot reported that, during approach, he was struggling to keep the airplane at 60 to 70 knots of airspeed, so he entered a side slip and reduced the power to idle. Once assured he would make the runway, he aligned the airplane with the runway, the airplane landed on the left main landing gear, bounced, and the student performed a go around. He entered the left traffic pattern and landed without further incident. Postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the firewall and 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 6 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 270° at 6 knots. The airplane landed on runway 33.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N557SP
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S8043
- Built
- 1998
- Airframe hours
- 8,580.8
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Vermont Flight Academy
- Registered owner
- Vermont Flight Academy
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 16, 2018
- Departed
- BTV · Burlington, VT
- Destination
- BTV · Burlington, VT
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- BTV · Burlington Intl, runway 33, 8,319 × 150 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 57.4 total · 16 in this make and model · 7.3 as pilot in command · 18.7 in the last 90 days · 3.7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- KBTV
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 11, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.7 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.