MIA99LA001

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 172N · Venice, FL · October 1, 1998

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
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.

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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.

Hard landingLanding - flare/touchdown
Flare - improperPilot in commandCause
Recovery from bounced landing - delayedPilot in commandCause

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.