- Date
- April 9, 2001, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lawrence, MA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2462TCessna 172R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 2, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20010409006329A
- Case key
- 52046
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 flare.
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 was practicing touch-and-go landings in the traffic pattern. He performed two landings uneventfully, and during the third landing the student pilot "flared too early," the airplane bounced twice, and then hit hard on the nose gear. The nose gear sheared off, and the airplane departed the left side of the runway. No mechanical malfunctions of the airplane were observed. The student pilot reported 55 hours of total flight experience in the accident airplane.
Factual narrative
On April 9, 2001, about 1330 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172R, N2462T, was substantially damaged during landing at the Lawrence Municipal Airport (LWM), Lawrence, Massachusetts. The certificated student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local solo flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the student pilot, the purpose of the flight was to practice touch-and-go landings at LWM. He departed from runway 23 about 1300, and performed two landings uneventfully. The student pilot stated that the third approach "looked good," and the airspeed was about 65 knots on final. He reported that he "flared too early," bounced twice, and then the airplane "hit hard" on the nose gear. The nose gear sheared off, and the airplane departed the left side of the runway.
Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the firewall, and the nose gear was torn off. Additionally, both propeller blades were bent back, and a "scuff mark" was noted on the front side of one of the blades. No mechanical malfunctions were observed with the landing gear.
The winds reported at LWM at 1354, were from 310 degrees at 6 knots.
The student pilot reported 55 hours of total flight experience in the accident airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2462T
- Reported as
- Cessna 172R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17280834
- Airframe hours
- 501.9
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Eagle East Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 2001 · 75.2 hours before
- Departed
- LWM · Lawrence, MA
- Destination
- LWM
- Airport
- LWM · Lawrence Municipal Airport, runway 23, 5,000 × 150 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 55 total · 55 in this make and model · 2 as pilot in command · 27 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.79 inHg
- Observed at
- LWM
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.