# NTSB LAX06CA150: Cessna 172S, N790SP, Honolulu, HI, April 28, 2006 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: April 28, 2006, 10:15 local (20:15 UTC) - Place: Honolulu, HI - Coordinates: 21.319999, -157.926391 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=21.3200&lon=-157.9264&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 29, 2006 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 63606 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX06CA150 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/63606/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX06CA150 ## Probable cause the pilot's misjudged flare resulting in a hard landing and a porpoise pilot induced oscillation. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - flare - misjudged, pilot in command (cause) - terrain condition - runway - porpoise/pilot-induced oscillation - encountered, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis The airplane was damaged during a hard landing. The student pilot was returning from the practice area, and the controller in the air traffic control tower cleared him into class B air space for landing on runway 4L. Then the tower controller cleared him to land on runway 4R. He was too close on downwind to make the approach. He asked the controller to let him go towards the ocean. The controller told him to turn final "now" because of outbound traffic. The student pilot thought that this was an urgent request to land immediately. He felt he was too high (800 feet) and his airspeed (95 knots) was faster than it should be. He lowered 10 degrees of flaps, selected idle power, and aimed toward the runway. He knew that he would land long, and wanted to go around; however, he didn't want to interfere with the departing traffic. His airspeed was still fast, he flared too early, and the airplane landed hard. The airplane began to porpoise. He tried to prevent the propeller from striking the ground, and added power to stop from descending too quickly. He stopped the airplane beside the runway, and then taxied back onto the runway and to the ramp. ## Factual narrative On April 28, 2006, about 1015 Hawaiian standard time, a Cessna 172S, N790SP, landed hard at Honolulu International Airport, Honolulu, Hawaii. Flight School Hawaii, Inc., was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The local solo instructional flight departed about 0930. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The pilot submitted a written report. He was returning from the practice area, and was initially cleared for landing on runway 4L. The tower controller then cleared him to land on runway 4R. He felt that he was too close on downwind to make the approach. He asked the controller to let him go towards the ocean, and turn around to get in a better position to land. The controller told him to turn final "now" because of outbound traffic. The student pilot said that he thought that this was an urgent request to land immediately. The student pilot said that he was too high (800 feet) and that his airspeed (95 knots) was faster than it should be. He lowered 10 degrees of flaps, selected idle power, and aimed toward the runway. He knew that he would land long, and wanted to go around. However, he didn't want to interfere with the departing traffic. He said that his airspeed was still fast, he flared too early, and the airplane landed hard. The airplane began to porpoise. He tried to prevent the propeller from striking the ground, and added power to stop from descending too quickly. He stopped the airplane beside the runway, and then taxied back onto the runway and to the ramp. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N790SP](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N790SP), registered now, S/N 172S8716, built 2001 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 172S - Registry model: [Cessna 172S](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172s) (registry code 2072439) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming I0360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (registry code 41515, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 172S8716 - Engines: Lycoming IO-360-L2A reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Flight School Hawaii, Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: HNL, Honolulu, HI - Destination: HNL, Honolulu, HI - Airport: HNL, Honolulu International, runway 4R, 9,000 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Student pilot; age 52; student; medical: class 3; flight hours: 81 total, 58 in this make and model, 7 as pilot in command, 20 in the last 90 days, 13 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 30° at 15 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 81 °F, dew point 63 °F - Altimeter: 30.11 inHg - Observed at: HNL ## 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 20060428006209A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060428006209A), Apr 28, 2006: Cessna 172S, Honolulu, HI, Substantial damage. (-23) On April 28, 2006, on touchdown aircraft N790SP, bounced into the air three times, as the aircraft settled back on the ground the aircraft landed and… 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.