MIA07CA008

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 172S · Ormond Beach, FL · October 21, 2006

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
October 21, 2006, 13:15 local (17:15 UTC)
Place
Ormond Beach, FL
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N401ERCessna 172S
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report February 26, 2007
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
FAA Flight Standards District Office
FAA report
20061021024689A
Case key
64753

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The failure of the student pilot to initiate a recovery from the bounced landing resulting in a hard landing.

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.

Hard landingLanding - flare/touchdown
Flare - improperPilot in command
Recovery from bounced landing - not performedPilot in commandCause

Analysis

The pilot stated that the flight proceeded to the destination airport and was cleared by air traffic control to land on runway 8. The flight turned from the downwind leg onto base, then onto final approach and with 30-degrees of flaps extended, attempted to maintain 61 knots for the practice short field landing. She began to flare but felt the main landing gear wheels "skid against the pavement" and the airplane then became airborne. She maintained the aft elevator input and again felt the main landing gear wheels skid on the runway and the airplane became airborne again. After the third touchdown the airplane remained on the runway and she taxied to the ramp. According to the NTSB "Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report" form, witness reported seeing a flat approach, contact with the runway, then the airplane porpoised. The recommendations section of the report indicates that a go-around should have been performed upon first indication of a faulty approach.

Factual narrative

On October 21, 2006, about 1315 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172S, N401ER, registered to Wells Fargo Bank Northwest NA Trustee, operated by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, bounced during landing at the Ormond Beach Municipal Airport, Ormond Beach, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight from Daytona Beach International Airport, Daytona Beach, Florida, to Ormond Beach Municipal Airport. The airplane was substantially damaged and the student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated about 1245, from Daytona Beach International Airport.

The pilot stated that the flight proceeded to the destination airport and was cleared by air traffic control to land on runway 8. The flight turned from the downwind leg onto base, then onto final approach and with 30-degrees of flaps extended, attempted to maintain 61 knots for the practice short field landing. She began to flare but felt the main landing gear wheels "skid against the pavement" and the airplane then became airborne. She maintained the aft elevator input and again felt the main landing gear wheels skid on the runway and the airplane became airborne again. After the third touchdown the airplane remained on the runway and she taxied to the ramp.

According to the NTSB "Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report" form, a witness reported seeing a flat approach, contact with the runway, then the airplane porpoised. The recommendations section of the report indicates that a go-around should have been performed upon first indication of a faulty approach.

Aircraft

Registration
N401ER
Reported as
Cessna 172S
Category
Airplane
Serial number
172S10057
Engine
Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Operator
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Registered owner
Wells Fargo Bank Northwest NA Trustee
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Departed
KDAB · Daytona Beach, FL
Destination
KOMN · Ormond Beach, FL
Airport
KOMN · Ormond Beach Municipal, runway 8, 4,004 × 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
Student pilot
Age
19
Injuries
None
Certificate
Student
Medical
Class 1, With waivers/limitations
Seat
Left
Flight hours
89 total · 89 in this make and model · 7 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.