- Date
- May 15, 1990, 14:02 local (21:02 UTC)
- Place
- California City, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7406ACessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Not reported
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900515016929A
- Case key
- 26803
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 landing flare. A factor related to accident was the gusty wind condition.
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
The student pilot, who had logged 130 hours of flight time, flew his airplane for 1.5 hours and practiced ground reference maneuvers. He then attempted to land. During the landing flare a gust was encountered, and the pilot decided to go-around. The pilot applied full engine power. The nose wheel contacted the ground and the aircraft porpoised. Thereafter, the pilot lost control of his aircraft and it touched down so hard that it 'broke in half.'
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7406A
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 29506
- Engine
- Continental O-300-B, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Michael J. Hocevar
- Departed
- WJF · Lancaster, CA
- Airport
- L71 · California City, runway 24, 6,035 × 55 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
- 43
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 130 total · 125 in this make and model · 85 as pilot in command · 39 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Not reported
- Wind
- 230° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.