- Date
- March 30, 1996, 12:02 local (20:02 UTC)
- Place
- Fullerton, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9964LCessna 172P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 20, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960330005689A
- Case key
- 29401
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 student pilot's inadequate compensation for the encounter with wake turbulence from a preceding small aircraft, and his improper bounced landing recovery technique.
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 reported that he was practicing full-stop landings on runway 24. The student stated his belief that on short final approach the aircraft encountered a wind gust in the landing flare which yawed the nose of the airplane to the left. The pilot attempted to correct the yaw with control inputs and the aircraft hit the runway hard and bounced toward the left side of the runway. The pilot attempted a rejected landing maneuver by adding full power; however, the left wing tip contacted the ground and the aircraft crashed in the median between the runway and taxiway. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the aircraft. A weather observation taken immediately after the accident by the air traffic control tower reported winds from 250 degrees at 4 knots.
Factual narrative
On March 30, 1996, at 1202 hours Pacific standard time, a Cessna 172P, N9964L, collided with the ground during an attempted rejected landing at Fullerton, California. The aircraft was operated by General Aviation Company, Inc., of Fullerton, and was rented by the student pilot for a local area solo instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated at Fullerton on the day of the accident at 1130.
The student reported that he was practicing full-stop landings on runway 24. The student stated his belief that on short final approach the aircraft encountered a wind gust in the landing flare which yawed the nose of the airplane to the left. The pilot attempted to correct the yaw with control inputs and the aircraft hit the runway hard and bounced toward the left side of the runway. The pilot attempted a rejected landing maneuver by adding full power; however, the left wing tip contacted the ground and the aircraft crashed in the median between the runway and taxiway.
The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the aircraft.
A weather observation taken immediately after the accident by the air traffic control tower reported winds from 250 degrees at 4 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9964L
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17276652
- Airframe hours
- 3,233
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- General Aviation Company, Inc.
- Registered owner
- John B. Denault III
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 16, 1995 · 19 hours before
- Departed
- FUL
- Airport
- FUL · Fullerton Muni, runway 24, 3,121 × 75 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
- 54
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 86 total · 86 in this make and model · 25 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FUL
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 N9964L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.