- Date
- July 4, 2002, 10:45 local (14:45 UTC)
- Place
- Fulton, NY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6338FCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20020704018149A
- Case key
- 55144
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, which resulted in a misaligned, hard landing.
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
After a solo cross-country flight, the student pilot configured the airplane for landing. He deployed the flaps early and was flying a steeper approach angle than intended. He added power to arrest his descent, shallow his approach angle, and reach the touchdown zone of the runway. When he added power, the airplane ballooned. He then reduced the power, which caused the airplane to drop and land flat. When it touched down, the airplane was turned to the left and the nose was not aligned with the runway.
Factual narrative
On July 4, 2002, at 1045 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172, N6338F, was substantially damaged during a hard landing at Oswego County Airport (FZY), Fulton, New York. The certificated student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight that departed Syracuse International Airport (SYR), about 1000. The solo instructional flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the student pilot, this was his first solo cross-country flight, and his intent was to practice takeoffs and landings.
Upon arrival at Oswego, the student pilot configured the airplane for landing on runway 24. The winds were from about 250 degrees at 8 knots, and he put the airplane in a slip on final approach. He deployed the flaps "early," which resulted in a steeper approach angle than he intended. The student pilot added power to arrest his descent, to shallow his approach angle, and to reach the touchdown zone of the runway.
When the student pilot added a little power, the airplane ballooned. He then reduced the power, which caused the airplane to drop and land flat. When it touched down, the airplane was turned to the left and the nose was not aligned with the runway.
When asked about the performance and handling of the airplane, the student pilot responded that he had made four other landings with the airplane that day, and had not had any problems with it.
Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the nose landing gear was out of alignment, that the firewall was buckled, and that the control column was jammed.
The student pilot's FAA third class medical certificate was issued March 19, 2002. He reported 23 hours of total flight experience, all in the accident airplane.
Runway 24 at Oswego County Airport was 3,996 feet long, and 100 feet wide.
The weather reported at the airport, 9 minutes after the accident, included winds from 260 degrees at 12 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6338F
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17273195
- Airframe hours
- 9,933.2
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Syracuse Flying Club
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 14, 2002 · 156.2 hours before
- Departed
- SYR · Syracuse, NY
- Destination
- FZY · Fulton, NY
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- FZY · Oswego County Airport, runway 24, 3,996 × 100 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--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 23 total · 23 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- FZY
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 24, 2003, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 514 KB 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.
Other investigations on N6338F · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.