- Date
- April 3, 1996, 20:30 local (Apr 4, 1996, 04:30 UTC)
- Place
- Friday Harbor, WA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N51380Cessna 172P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed · report April 3, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960403006029A
- Case key
- 42351
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 misjudgment of the aircraft's altitude above the runway and failure to flare for landing. Darkness (bright night) 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 pilot, who was landing during the hours of darkness (bright night), thought the aircraft was still about 20 to 30 feet in the air, when its nosewheel slammed into the runway surface. The force of the impact resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft.
Factual narrative
On April 3, 1996, approximately 2030 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 172P, N51380, experienced a hard landing at Friday Harbor Airport, Friday Harbor, Washington. The private pilot and his two passengers were not injured, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The personal pleasure flight, which departed Paine Field, Everett, Washington, about 30 minutes earlier, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed, and the ELT, which was activated by the impact, was later turned off at the scene.
According to the pilot, who was attempting to land after sunset, he flew a normal approach for a VFR full-stop landing. At the point where he thought he was still about 20 to 30 feet above the ground, the nose wheel slammed into the runway. The force of the impact resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft structure.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N51380
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17274305
- Airframe hours
- 3,900
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Aircraft Leasing Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 21, 1996
- Departed
- PAE · Everett, WA
- Destination
- FHR
- Airport
- FHR · Friday Harbor, runway 16, 3,400 × 75 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
- 45
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 96 total · 18 in this make and model · 48 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N51380 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.