- Date
- May 18, 1999, 11:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Imperial, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9897FCessna 172R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990518040539A
- Case key
- 46342
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 misjudged landing flare, which led to an inadvertent porpoise 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
Inbound to the airport, the pilot requested a landing advisory from the CTAF. They advised runway 14 was in use. As the pilot neared the airport, another aircraft asked for advisories. That aircraft was advised that runway 32 was in use and landed on it. The pilot tried to contact the CTAF to verify runway 32 was now in use, but received no response. She entered right traffic for runway 32 and noted the windsock indicated there was no wind. She overshot the turn to final but corrected to line up on the runway centerline. She flared too high and tried to correct; however, during the landing, the aircraft started to porpoise. The propeller struck the ground, buckling the cowling and firewall. The pilot taxied clear of the runway and shut down.
Factual narrative
On May 18, 1999, at 1145 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172R, N9897F, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing at the Imperial, California, airport. Pinnacle Aviation in Palomar, California, was operating the instructional flight under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The student pilot was completing the third leg of a solo cross-country flight. She departed Thermal, California, about 1125. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a VFR flight plan was filed. The pilot, the sole occupant, was uninjured.
Inbound to Imperial, the pilot requested a landing advisory from Imperial Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF). They advised runway 14 was in use. As the pilot neared the airport, another aircraft asked for advisories. That aircraft was advised that runway 32 was in use and landed on it. The pilot tried to contact the CTAF to verify runway 32 was now in use, but received no response. She entered right traffic for runway 32 and noted the windsock indicated there was no wind. She overshot the turn to final but corrected to line up on the runway centerline. She flared too high and tried to correct; however, during the landing, the aircraft started to porpoise. The propeller struck the ground, buckling the cowling and firewall. The pilot taxied clear of the runway and shut down.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9897F
- Reported as
- Cessna 172R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17280180
- Airframe hours
- 1,019
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- George Mc Jimsey, doing business as Pinnacle Aviation
- Registered owner
- P&M Aircraft, LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 20, 1999 · 64 hours before
- Departed
- TRM · Thermal, CA
- Destination
- IPL
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- IPL · Imperial County, runway 32, 5,304 × 100 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
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 43 total · 23 in this make and model · 5 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IPL
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.