- Date
- June 13, 2008, 08:45 local (12:45 UTC)
- Place
- Daytona Beach, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N65939Cessna 172S
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 29, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080613839039A
- Case key
- 68231
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.
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.
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
According to the student pilot, he was returning to the airport from a local solo flight in a Cessna 172. He reported that air traffic control (ATC) instructed him to enter midfield right downwind for runway 7 right and maintain altitude at 1,500 feet mean sea level (MSL), and that ATC would inform him when to turn base. After flying an "extended downwind," the pilot was told to turn base and begin descending. While on the final leg of the approach, the airplane's altitude was 1,000 feet MSL and airspeed was 105 knots. The pilot "reduced throttle all the way to idle and continued descending rapidly." During the landing flare, the pilot "pitched the nose up a bit too much," but concerned about the amount of runway remaining, he "pitched the nose down too much" to correct. The airplane impacted the runway on the nose landing gear, and bounced "three to four more times" while "drifting" away from the runway centerline. The airplane veered off the runway, where the pilot was able to regain control. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall during the landing. The pilot did not report any abnormalities with the performance or handling of the airplane.
Factual narrative
According to the student pilot, he was returning to the airport from a local solo flight in a Cessna 172. He reported that air traffic control (ATC) instructed him to enter midfield right downwind for runway 7 right and maintain altitude at 1,500 feet mean sea level (MSL), and that ATC would inform him when to turn base. After flying an "extended downwind," the pilot was told to turn base and begin descending. While on the final leg of the approach, the airplane's altitude was 1,000 feet MSL and airspeed was 105 knots. The pilot "reduced throttle all the way to idle and continued descending rapidly." During the landing flare, the pilot "pitched the nose up a bit too much," but concerned about the amount of runway remaining, he "pitched the nose down too much" to correct. The airplane impacted the runway on the nose landing gear, and bounced "three to four more times" while "drifting" away from the runway centerline. The airplane veered off the runway, where the pilot was able to regain control. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall during the landing. The pilot did not report any abnormalities with the performance or handling of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N65939
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S9769
- Airframe hours
- 2,453.6
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Air America Flight Center
- Registered owner
- Hayleon Aircraft Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 1, 2008
- Departed
- DAB · Daytona Beach, FL
- Destination
- DAB · Daytona Beach, FL
- Airport
- DAB · Daytona Beach Regional, runway 7R, 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 28 total · 28 in this make and model · 3 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 11 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- DAB
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.