- Date
- July 20, 2003, 12:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Livermore, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N73857Cessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 25, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030720018869A
- Case key
- 57581
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 misjudged landing flare, which resulted in a porpoise pilot induced oscillation and 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
During a landing attempt the airplane porpoised on touchdown and bounced at least two times. The pilot performed a go-around and landed uneventfully on the second attempt.
Factual narrative
On July 20, 2003, at 1230 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N73857, experienced a hard landing at Livermore Airport, California. The airplane was registered to and operated by Flying Particles, Inc., a flying club in Livermore, under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot was not injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a visual flight plan had not been filed. The personal flight originated from the Fresno-Chandler Downtown Airport about 1130.
The pilot stated in the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120 1/2), that she bounced the airplane two times while attempting to land on runway 25R. She described the bounces as a "porpoise." The pilot then executed a go-around and on the second approach she landed uneventfully. The winds at Livermore were recorded as variable at 3 knots.
A mechanic inspected the airplane and reported to the NTSB Investigator-in-Charge (IIC) that the engine firewall was damaged and a section of fuselage skin behind the firewall on the left side was wrinkled.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N73857
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17267725
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2C7, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Flying Particles, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KFCH · Fresno, CA
- Destination
- KLVK · Livermore, CA
- Airport
- LVK · Livermore, CA, runway 25R
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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 374 total · 74 in this make and model · 20 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- LVK
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 N73857 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.