- Date
- February 15, 2019, 18:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sanford, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N572NDCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190215016509A
- Case key
- 98997
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 maintain the proper pitch attitude during landing, which resulted in the airplane porpoising.
Findings · 3
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 final approach to land, he realized that the airplane was too high and that he had not added "enough flare." The airplane landed nosewheel first during the touchdown and then started to porpoise. The student conducted a go-around, entered the traffic pattern, and landed without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage aft of the firewall. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. About the time of the accident, the wind was from 100° at 3 knots, and the pilot was landing the airplane on runway 27L.
Factual narrative
The solo student pilot reported that, during final approach to land, he realized he was too high, he "didn't add enough flare." The airplane landed nose wheel first during the touchdown; subsequently, the airplane started to porpoise. The student pilot performed a go-around, entered the traffic pattern, and landed without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, aft of the firewall. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. About the time of the accident the wind was from 100 degrees true at 3 knots, and the airplane was landing runway 27L.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N572ND
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S10940
- Built
- 2009
- Airframe hours
- 8,677.8
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- L3 Commercial Pilot Solution
- Registered owner
- UND Aerospace Foundation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 30, 2019
- Departed
- SFB · Sanford, FL
- Destination
- SFB · Sanford, FL
- Airport
- SFB · Orlando Sanford Intl, runway 27L, 6,647 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display
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
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 58 total · 58 in this make and model · 4 as pilot in command · 26 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 100° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- KSFB
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 14, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 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.