- Date
- July 3, 2000, 11:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Kutztown, PA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8805ZCessna 172H
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 18, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000703008409A
- Case key
- 49649
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 pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing, and his delay in remedial action.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The student pilot and flight instructor were practicing touch and go's at the airport. The student pilot performed the first landing without any problems; however, during the second landing, the airplane bounced hard on the runway. The CFI added full power to initiate a go-around; however, the airspeed was too slow, the flaps were extended, and they were 'running out of runway.' The CFI then aborted the go-around and attempted to land on the remaining runway. The airplane departed the left side of the runway, and impacted a hangar.
Factual narrative
On July 3, 2000, about 1130 Eastern Daylight Time, a Cessna 172H, N8805Z, was substantially damaged during landing at the Kutztown Airport (N31), Kutztown, Pennsylvania. The certificated flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the certified flight instructor (CFI), the accident flight was a "familiarization flight" for the student pilot. They planned to remain in the traffic pattern to practice takeoffs and landings on Runway 35, a 2,435 foot long, 240 foot wide, turf/asphalt runway. The CFI stated that the student pilot performed the first landing without any problems, "on the numbers." During the second landing, the airplane "bounced hard" on the runway, and the CFI attempted to regain control of the airplane. He added full power to initiate a go-around; however, the airspeed was "too slow," the flaps were extended, and they were "running out of runway." The CFI then aborted the go-around and attempted to land on the remaining runway. The airplane departed the left side of the runway, and impacted a hangar.
The student pilot reported that he performed the first takeoff and landing to Runway 35 uneventfully. During the second approach, he extended the downwind leg of the traffic pattern to allow spacing for a glider to land prior to his landing. On short final, the student pilot extended full flaps, after he realized the airplane was a "little high." He reported that as the airplane began to "drop fairly fast" over the runway, the CFI took over the controls, and added power to avoid a hard landing. The airplane bounced on the runway and the CFI initiated a go-around. The CFI then aborted the go-around and attempted to land on the remaining runway. The airplane touched down on a grass strip to the left of the runway, and impacted a hangar with its left wingtip. It then pivoted to the left and came to rest after it struck the hangar with its right wing.
According to the student pilot, he had accumulated 40 to 50 hours of total flight experience over the past 5 years. Prior to the accident flight, his last flight was "about a year ago."
The CFI reported 14,479 hours of total flight time, of which 6,000 hours were in the make and model of the accident airplane.
Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, revealed substantial damage to both wings, the propeller, and the right flap.
The winds reported at an airport 10 miles away, at 1154, were from 230 degrees at 5 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8805Z
- Reported as
- Cessna 172H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17255455
- Airframe hours
- 4,417
- Engine
- Continental O-300, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Granite Sales Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 7, 2000 · 82 hours before
- Departed
- N31
- Airport
- N31 · Kutztown Airport, runway 35, 2,435 × 240 ft, asphalt
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
- Pilot
- Age
- 56
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 14,479 total · 6,000 in this make and model · 13,799 as pilot in command · 222 in the last 90 days · 120 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RDG, 10 nm away
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 N8805Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.