- Date
- October 26, 1996, 15:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- Hilton, NY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5535RCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19961026033879A
- Case key
- 39297
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 soft field landing technique, which allowed a nose over during the landing rollout. Soft terrain was a related factor.
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 was landing on a grass runway when the airplane nosed over. According to the pilot, he conducted the final approach at a speed of 65 mph with 30 degrees of flaps. During the landing roll, the airplane touched down a few feet off the runway center, and the pilot indicated that he did not hold full back (up) elevator. The airplane then crossed a soft spot, about 200 yards down the runway, and nosed over. The pilot further reported, that landing on the center of the runway, firmer ground, and holding full up elevator would have helped prevent the accident. Also, he indicated that the runway conditions were dry with a light wind from the south, and that there was no malfunction with the airplane.
Factual narrative
On October 26, 1996, about 1545 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N5535R, was substantially damaged when it nosed over during the landing roll, on a private turf runway, near Hilton, New York. The student pilot, sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that departed Ledgedale Airpark, Brockport, New York, about 1510. No flight plan was filed for the instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The student pilot reported that he departed runway 18, a 2,200 foot turf runway, from Hilton, with his flight instructor, earlier that day. He was returning from Brockport, where he dropped off his instructor, and planned to conduct an approach and landing to runway 18. During the final approach, the airspeed was 65 MPH, with 30 degrees of flaps. During the landing roll, the airplane touched down a few feet off runway center, and the pilot did not hold full back (up) elevator. The airplane then crossed a soft spot, about 200 yards down the runway, and nosed over. The pilot further reported, that landing on the center of the runway, firmer ground, and holding full up elevator would have helped prevent the accident. Also, he indicated that the runway conditions were dry with a light wind from the south, and that there were no malfunctions with the airplane.
Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector did not disclose evidence of malfunctions, nor did the pilot report any.
The pilot had a total flight experience of about 48 hours, of which 13 were solo.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5535R
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17253117
- Airframe hours
- 1,306
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Larry Speer
- Registered owner
- Edward Hendershot
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 1996 · 17 hours before
- Departed
- 7G0 · Brockport, NY
- Destination
- NONE
- Airport
- NONE · Private Field, runway 18, 2,000 × 30 ft, grass/turf
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
- 41
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 46 total · 46 in this make and model · 11 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ROC, 10 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.