# NTSB LAX04LA056: Cessna 172N, N5216J, Nogales, AZ, December 4, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: December 4, 2003, 09:05 local (16:05 UTC) - Place: Nogales, AZ - Coordinates: 31.426666, -110.847778 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.4267&lon=-110.8478&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report December 28, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 58430 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX04LA056 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/58430/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX04LA056 ## Probable cause The student pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing and his failure to maintain directional control. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - on ground/water, landing - roll - recovery from bounced landing - improper, pilot in command (cause) - directional control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - On ground/water collision with object, landing - roll - object - tree(s) - Nose over, landing - roll ## Analysis During the student pilot's first landing on his first solo flight, the airplane bounced, and he lost directional control during the landing roll. The airplane veered off the runway, impacted trees, and nosed over. ## Factual narrative On December 4, 2003, about 0905 mountain standard time, a Cessna 172N, nosed over following a bounced landing at the Nogales International Airport, Nogales, Arizona. The airplane was operated by Tiffin Aviation Services, Inc., in Nogales, and it was substantially damaged. The student pilot was not injured during the solo instructional flight that was performed under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated from Nogales about 0900. According to the pilot's certified flight instructor (CFI) and the student pilot, the accident occurred during the student pilot's first landing during his first solo flight. After taking off, the student remained in the traffic pattern. The student reported that he entered the airport's downwind leg, turned onto the base leg, and flew the final approach course without difficulty. The wing flaps were extended, and the final approach speed was about 60 knots. The airplane touched down on runway 21 and bounced. According to the student, when the airplane touched down again it was near the left edge of the runway. The student reported that he applied right rudder and aileron to correct the airplane's course, but he was not successful. The airplane veered off the runway, collided with trees, and nosed over. About the time of the accident, the local wind direction was reported from 140 degrees. Its speed was about 3 knots. The student's total flying experience and experience in the Cessna 172 was about 30 hours. He had flown the airplane 22.7 hours during the preceding 90-day period. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N5216J](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5216J-2005-02-07), registration cancelled 2005-02-07, S/N 17273736 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 172N - Registry model: [Cessna 172N](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172n) (registry code 2072434) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17273736 - Airframe hours: 8576 - Engines: Lycoming O-360-H2AD 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Tiffin Aviation Services Inc - Registered owner: Knotts Landing, Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, October 20, 2003, 44 hours before - Departed: OLS, Nogales, AZ - Destination: OSL, Nogales, AZ - Airport: OLS, Nogales International, runway 21, 7,199 × 90 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 37; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 30 total, 30 in this make and model, 0 as pilot in command, 23 in the last 90 days, 12 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 140° at 3 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 48 °F, dew point 21 °F - Altimeter: 30.12 inHg - Observed at: OLS ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20031204031179A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20031204031179A), Dec 4, 2003: Cessna 172N, Nogales, AZ, Substantial damage. (-23) Student pilot on first supervised solo conducting first approach to landing. Aircraft bounced on landing, became airborne, landed again and departed… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.