# NTSB LAX97LA167: Cessna 172P, N63754, San Jose, CA, April 25, 1997 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 25, 1997, 13:42 local (20:42 UTC) - Place: San Jose, CA - Coordinates: 37.340015, -121.900848 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.3400&lon=-121.9008&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Completed, report April 10, 1998 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 29778 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX97LA167 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/29778/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX97LA167 ## Probable cause The student pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed to preclude stalling following an improper recovery from a bounced landing. Contributing factors were the pilot's premature and excessive flap retraction and misjudged landing flare. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - in flight, go-around (vfr) - flare - misjudged, pilot in command (contributing factor) - recovery from bounced landing - improper, pilot in command (contributing factor) - go-around - performed, pilot in command - raising of flaps - improper, pilot in command (contributing factor) - airspeed(vso) - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - stall/mush - inadvertent, pilot in command - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled ## Analysis The accident occurred during the student's first supervised solo flight, which was observed by the student's certified flight instructor. The student's first two attempted landings terminated in go-arounds. During the next two approaches the student performed touch-and-go's, and the fifth approach terminated with another go-around. The accident occurred during the following attempted landing. The student made a hard bounced touchdown, ballooned 50 to 75 feet into the air and attempted to initiate a go-around. The student reduced the wing flap setting, increased the angle of attack, and the airplane stalled and rolled into a steep left bank and descended until contacting the ground. Thereafter, it cartwheeled and came to rest in a nose down attitude in an open field near the control tower. The student indicated that he should not have retracted the wing flaps so quickly while initiating the go-around. ## Factual narrative On April 25, 1997, at 1342 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172P, N63754, operated by Squadron 2, San Jose, California, experienced a loss of control following a bounced landing on runway 29 at the San Jose International Airport. The airplane was destroyed in the subsequent ground collision sequence and the student pilot was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The local area solo instructional flight began from San Jose at 1320. A witness, who was approximately 500 yards from the accident site, reported that he observed the airplane touch down hard on the centerline of the runway, and then climb 75 feet during the initiation of a go-around. The witness stated that the airplane's angle of attack increased, and the airplane appeared to stall. Thereafter, the airplane banked "sharply" left and descended until impacting the ground. Several air traffic controllers reported observing the accident. One controller opined that the airplane appeared "very unstable during landing." The airplane bounced on the runway, a climb was initiated and then the airplane recontacted the ground, rolled about 20 feet in the grass, climbed again, and crashed in a left wing low attitude. A second controller reported seeing the airplane in a steep left bank with its wing "perpendicular to the ground." The airplane descended, cartwheeled on its left wing, and came to rest in a nose down attitude in an open field northwest of the control tower. The student pilot's certified flight instructor (CFI) verbally reported that he also witnessed the accident flight. According to the CFI, the accident occurred during his student's first supervised solo flight. The student's first two attempted landings terminated in go-arounds. During the next two approaches the student performed touch-and-go's, and the fifth approach terminated with another go-around. The accident occurred during the next attempted landing. The CFI further reported that the airplane's final approach looked normal and 30 degrees of flaps were used. The landing flare appeared normal. The student initiated a go-around and the airplane gained 50 feet, whereupon the flaps were partially retracted. The airplane entered a 45-to 60-degree left bank, descended, and impacted the ground. The CFI stated that he subsequently spoke with his student. The student reported to him that he recognized that he should not have retracted the wing flaps while initiating the go-around. No claim of mechanical malfunction was asserted by the student. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N63754](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N63754-1998-05-09), registration cancelled 1998-05-09, S/N 17275478 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 172P - Registry model: [Cessna 172P](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172p) (registry code 2072436) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17275478 - Airframe hours: 7409 - Engines: Lycoming O-320-D2J 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Squadron 2 - Registered owner: Gary W. Niva - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, March 21, 1997, 49 hours before - Departed: SJC - Airport: SJC, San Jose International, runway 29, 4,599 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 58; student; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 18 total, 18 in this make and model, 18 in the last 90 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 280° at 10 knots - Visibility: 50 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 25,000 ft broken - Temperature: 81 °F, dew point 43 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: SJC ## 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 19970425006659A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970425006659A), Apr 25, 1997: Cessna 172P, San Jose, CA, Destroyed. Solo flight, lost control attempting go around, left wing hit ground, cartwheeled follow a stall. Retracted flaps. (.4)the accident occurred during the… 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.