- Date
- August 21, 2001, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Gadsden, AL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N764SPCessna 172S
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 18, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20010821024539A
- Case key
- 53176
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 misjudged the flare, resulting in a hard landing, and impact with the runway.
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 pilot stated that at the conclusion of a solo cross-country flight, while on final approach over the runway he reduced power, maintained airspeed, and at "10 to 12 feet" above the runway he began the flare. When the airplane touched down the main landing gear hit hard, and the airplane then hit hard on the nose wheel, separating it from the airplane.
Factual narrative
On August 21, 2001, about 1400 central daylight time, a Cessna C-172S, N764SP, owned by C & S Aviation Inc and operated by Bessemer Aviation Inc., operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight impacted the runway at Gadsden Airport, Gadsden, Alabama. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A visual flight rules flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged. The student pilot reported no injuries. The airplane departed Gadsden at 1315, on a round trip solo cross-country flight.
According to the pilot's statement he was on approach to runway 36, at the conclusion of a solo cross-country flight. He said that when he had the "runway made," he reduced power, maintained airspeed, and at "10 to 12 feet" above the runway he began the flare. He said the main landing gear hit "hard" and the airplane "…hit hard on [the] nose wheel."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N764SP
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17258697
- Airframe hours
- 398
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Bessemer Aviation
- Registered owner
- C & S Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 7, 2001 · 98.3 hours before
- Departed
- EKY · Bessemer, AL
- Destination
- GAD · Gadsden, AL
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- GAD · Gadsden, runway 36, 4,803 × 150 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
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 70 total · 13 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- GAD
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.