MIA08CA056

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 172S · Orlando, FL · February 15, 2008

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
February 15, 2008, 11:20 local (16:20 UTC)
Place
Orlando, FL
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N618VTCessna 172S
Defining event
Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report March 31, 2008
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
20080215857849A
Case key
67516

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 student pilot's inadequate recovery from a bounced landing.

Findings · 2

NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.

Performance/control parameters: landing flareAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Incorrect use/operationCessna 172S: 99 casesAll aircraft: 1,285 casesProbable cause
Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · Student/instructed pilotCessna 172S: 206 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause

Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.

Analysis

The student pilot stated that at 4 nautical miles from runway 18 right, the approach was stabilized with flaps and a constant airspeed of 65 knots was maintained . As the airplane descended, over the end of the runway, the pilot's eyes shifted to the runway markings directly in front. The airplane bounced on the main landing gear and upon the bounce, the pilot recovered with additional power to re-stabilize the approach/landing. The airplane bounced again and thereafter had a hard nose-low landing onto the runway. After the hard landing, the right rudder pedal travel was limited; however, the student pilot was able to taxi off the active runway to the fix base operator where the airplane was secured and exited. The student pilot stated to NTSB that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or any of its systems prior to the accident.

Factual narrative

The student pilot stated that instructions were given by the air traffic controller for a right base for runway 18 right and later was cleared to land on that runway. At 4 nautical miles from the runway, the student pilot stabilized the approach with flaps and maintained a constant airspeed of 65 knots. As the airplane descended, over the end of the runway, the pilot's eyes shifted to the runway markings directly in front. The airplane bounced on the main landing gear and upon the bounce, the pilot recovered with additional power to re-stabilize the approach/landing. The airplane bounced again and thereafter had a hard nose-low landing onto the runway. After the hard land, the right rudder pedal travel was limited; however, the student pilot was able to taxi off the active runway and to the fix base operator where the airplane was secured and exited. The student pilot stated to NTSB that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or any of its systems prior to the accident.

Aircraft

Registration
N618VT
Reported as
Cessna 172S
Category
Airplane
Serial number
172S9719
Engine
Lycoming IO-360-L2A, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Operator
Worldwide Aviation Group, Inc., doing business as Flight Treks
Registered owner
Eight Victor Tango, LLC.
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Departed
KLEE · Leesburg, FL
Destination
KMCO · Orlando, FL
Airport
KMCO · Orlando International Airport, runway 18R, concrete

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
48
Certificate
Student
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3
Flight hours
81 total · 80 in this make and model · 41 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
Variable at 4 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
4,200 ft broken
Temperature
75 °F, dew point 68 °F
Altimeter
30.31 inHg

FAA reports on this event · 1

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