- Date
- October 7, 2000, 10:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hilo, HI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3715RCessna 172H
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 28, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20001007041149A
- Case key
- 50455
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
An inadvertent pilot-induced porpoise resulting from the pilot's improper landing flare and inadequate power management.
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
Witnesses saw the airplane touch down hard and porpoise three times during the student pilot's third landing on her first solo flight. The student pilot reported that during the initial touchdown she decreased the engine power too soon for the flare and hesitated too long. Thereafter, she should have increased engine power but said she forgot what to do. The airplane engine's firewall was found bent during a subsequent airframe inspection. The student pilot's total flight time was about 29 hours.
Factual narrative
On October 7, 2000, about 1030 hours Hawaiian standard time, a Cessna 172H, N3715R, operated by the pilot, made a hard landing on runway 03 at the Hilo International Airport, Hilo, Hawaii. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed during the solo instructional flight, and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged, and the student pilot was not injured. The flight was performed under 14 CFR Part 91, and it originated from Hilo about 1015.
In pertinent part, the student pilot reported that during the first touchdown she decreased the engine power too soon for the flare and hesitated too long. Thereafter, she should have increased engine power but forgot what to do. The airplane touched down two more times, and the third time was "harder than necessary (and) noises were heard."
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) coordinator, the pilot's certified instructor witnessed the accident. The CFI reported that the airplane touched down hard during the pilot's third landing on her first solo flight. Thereafter, the airplane porpoised about three times. The airplane's firewall was found bent during a subsequent inspection.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3715R
- Reported as
- Cessna 172H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17255515
- Airframe hours
- 5,240
- Engine
- Continental O-300D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Elizabeth S. Cossaboon
- Registered owner
- Merlin W. Dyball
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 22, 2000
- Departed
- ITO
- Airport
- ITO · Hilo International, runway 3, 5,600 × 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 34
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 29 total · 29 in this make and model · 11 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 178 °F, dew point 154 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ITO
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.