- Date
- June 21, 2004, 12:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hartford, CT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N356ESCessna 172R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 28, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Windsor Locks
- FAA report
- 20040621011229A
- Case key
- 59489
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 student pilot's improper flare and inadequate compensation for wind conditions. A factor was the gusty winds.
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
The student pilot stated that she was on a solo flight, practicing crosswind landings during gusty conditions. While landing, as the student pilot flared the airplane, a sudden loss of headwind was encountered, and the airspeed began to decay. The student pilot added power in an attempt to go-around, but the airplane continued to descend towards the runway. The airplane touched down hard, bounced into the air, and the pilot proceeded to go around. The subsequent approach and landing were uneventful. The wind conditions about the time of the accident were from 260 degrees at 11 knots with 15 knot gusts.
Factual narrative
On June 21, 2004, about 1230 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172R, N356ES, was substantially damaged during a hard landing at the Hartford-Brainard Airport, Hartford, Connecticut. The student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR part 91.
The student pilot stated that she was on a solo flight, practicing crosswind landings during gusty conditions. While landing, as the student pilot flared the airplane, a sudden loss of headwind was encountered, and the airspeed began to decay. The student pilot added power in an attempt to go-around, but the airplane continued to descend towards the runway. The airplane touched down hard, bounced into the air, and the pilot proceeded to go-around. The subsequent approach and landing were uneventful.
In addition, the pilot stated that she did not experience any malfunctions with the engine or the airframe prior to the accident.
A weather observation taken at the Hartford-Brainard Airport, at 1153, reported winds from 260 degrees at 11 knots with 15 knot gusts, visibility 10 statute miles, sky conditions clear, temperature 75 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point temperature 41 degrees Fahrenheit and altimeter setting 29.96 inches of Hg.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N356ES
- Reported as
- Cessna 172R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17280051
- Engine
- Lycoming IO 360, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Professional Flight Training Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Hartford, CT
- Airport
- KHFD · Hartford-Brainard Airport, runway 20, 4,418 × 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
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 99 total · 99 in this make and model · 8 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 11 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KHFD
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.