# NTSB GAA20CA023: Cessna 172, N6097G, Louisville, KY, October 15, 2019 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: October 15, 2019, 14:47 local (18:47 UTC) - Place: Louisville, KY - Coordinates: 38.227779, -85.664718 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.2278&lon=-85.6647&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report May 21, 2020 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: General Aviation Accidents - Parties: FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 100430 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=GAA20CA023 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/100430/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=100430 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA20CA023 ## Probable cause The student pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in a porpoised landing, a subsequent hard landing on grass left of the runway, and a nose-over. Contributing to the accident was the student’s self-imposed pressure to land the airplane ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Performance/control parameters: landing flare](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 99 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 1,285 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md) - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 206 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface: soft surface](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03023020): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Effect on operation (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03023020/cases.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 264 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03023020/cases.md) - [Wind: crosswind](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034040): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on operation (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 18 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034040/cases.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 1,008 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034040/cases.md) - [Personality/attitude: motivation/respond to pressure](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021025): Personnel issues › Psychological · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021025/cases.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 53 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021025/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing: Abnormal runway contact](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/090); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 77 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/090/sequence.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 1,506 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/090/sequence.md) - [Landing: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md) - [Landing: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 77 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 4,585 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md) - [Landing: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 76 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md) - [Landing: Nose over/nose down](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 34 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 2,287 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md) ## Analysis The solo student pilot reported that, while in the traffic pattern to land, the flaps would not lower, and he had to move the flap lever up and down several times to troubleshoot. Once on the base leg, he realized that the airplane was faster than normal. On final, he extended the flaps to 30° but felt the airplane was too high and fast. He reduced power to correct, and over the threshold, the airplane encountered a crosswind which pushed the airplane to the left of the runway centerline. He reduced power to idle and pushed the nose down "too quickly." The nose landing gear hit the runway first, the airplane porpoised, and he attempted to pitch the nose up to decrease airspeed. He was then worried that the airplane would aerodynamically stall "too high in the air," so he pitched the nose down. The airplane landed hard in the grass left of the runway, the nose dug into the ground, and the airplane came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation and that he should have added full power and performed a go-around. He added that he felt pressured to land the airplane to "get out of everyone's way." ## Factual narrative The solo student pilot reported that, during the traffic pattern to land, the flaps would not lower and he had to move the flap lever up and down several times to troubleshoot. On base, he realized that he was faster than normal. On final, he extended the flaps to 30°, but felt he was too high and fast. He reduced power to correct and over the threshold, a crosswind drifted the airplane to the left. He reduced power to idle and pushed the nose down "too quickly." The airplane porpoised and he attempted to pitch the nose up to decrease airspeed. He was then worried that the airplane would aerodynamically stall, so he pitched the nose down. The airplane landed hard in the grass left of the runway, the nose dug into the ground, and the airplane came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about 6 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 200° at 11 knots. The student pilot was landing the airplane on runway 15. The student pilot reported that he should have added full power and performed a go around. He added that he felt pressured to land the airplane to "get out of everyone's way." ## Aircraft - Registration: [N6097G](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6097G), registered now, S/N 172S9673, built 2004 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 172 (S) - Registry model: [Cessna 172S](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172s) (registry code 2072439) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-360-L2A](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-360-l2a) (registry code 41597, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 172S9673 - Year built: 2004 - Airframe hours: 7736.8 - Engines: Lycoming IO-360-L2A 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Cardinal Wings Aviation LLC - Registered owner: Bccm Aircraft Holdings Llc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, September 17, 2019 - Departed: 27K, Georgetown, KY - Destination: LOU, Louisville, KY - Airport: LOU, Bowman Field, runway 15, 3,580 × 75 ft, asphalt - Equipment: ADS-B, Auto-pilot ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Student pilot; age 47; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; seat: left; flight hours: 52 total, 52 in this make and model, 1 as pilot in command, 20 in the last 90 days, 5 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 200° at 11 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 73 °F, dew point 54 °F - Altimeter: 29.90 inHg - Observed at: KLOU ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20191015017379A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20191015017379A), Oct 15, 2019: Cessna 172S, Louisville, KY, Substantial damage. On October 15, 2019, at approximately 1845 UTC, a C-172S, N6097G, porpoised during landing on runway 15 at Bowman Field (lou), Louisville, Kentucky, and ran… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 12, 2019, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=100430. 4.0 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 2.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40478977&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Student Pilot's Statement (item 2, .PDF, 71 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40478978&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Student%20Pilot%27s%20Statement-Master.PDF - Accident Photos (item 3, .PDF, 2 photos, 2.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40478979&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Accident%20Photos-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.