- Date
- March 7, 1990, 15:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Clearwater, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N73929Cessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900307003489A
- Case key
- 32632
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's improper flare and improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a porpoise and loss of aircraft control. Factors related to the accident were: the gusty crosswind, and failure of the pilot to maintain runway alignment.
Analysis
The plt made an apch to land on rwy 15 with the wind from 090 deg at 12 gusting 15 KTS. During the landing, the acft porpoised twice. On the 2nd porpoise, the plt allowed the airplane to drift west of the rwy. During touchdown, the nose wheel dug into the dirt & the acft nosed over.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N73929
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 67753
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Suncoast Aviation Inc
- Registered owner
- Suncoast Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 26, 1990 · 42 hours before
- Departed
- CLW
- Airport
- CLW · Clearwater, runway 15, 3,300 × 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 113 total · 20 in this make and model · 64 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 12 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 61 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N73929 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.