- Date
- October 1, 1998, 17:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Venice, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N733HKCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 7, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19981001027449A
- Case key
- 44109
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 improper flare and improper recovery from a bounced 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.
Analysis
During the fourth and final landing, the airplane touched down and bounced 2 or 3 times; during this time the throttle was at idle and the elevator control was full aft. After the airplane landed on the runway, he elected to perform a go-around and applied power but there was no response from the elevator. He aborted the takeoff and the airplane veered off the left side of the runway near the departure end of the runway. The pilot further stated that there was no preimpact failure or malfunction of the engine or flight controls. Postcrash inspection of the airplane revealed that the elevator flight control cables were binding due to the buckled floor in the cockpit area.
Factual narrative
On October 1, 1998, about 1700 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N733HK, registered to Huffman Aviation, Inc., dba Venice Flying Service, experienced a hard landing at the Venice Municipal Airport, Venice, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the private-rated pilot and one passenger were not injured. The flight had originated about 1550 from the Venice Municipal Airport.
The pilot stated that he had performed three stop-and-go landings and after touchdown for a planned full stop landing, the airplane touched down and bounced two or three times. During this time, the throttle was at idle and the elevator control was full aft. He then elected to perform a go-around while on the ground and applied full power, but the airplane would not become airborne. He then aborted the go-around and the airplane veered off the left side of the runway near the departure end of the runway. The pilot further stated that there was no flight control or engine preimpact failure or malfunction. Postcrash inspection of the airplane revealed that the elevator flight controls were binding due to a buckled floor in the cockpit area.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N733HK
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17268305
- Airframe hours
- 2,502
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Huffman Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 3, 1998 · 63 hours before
- Departed
- VNC
- Airport
- VNC · Venice Municipal, runway 22, 5,000 × 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
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 160 total · 20 in this make and model · 85 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 81 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SRQ, 20 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.