- Date
- April 13, 1999, 11:35 local (18:35 UTC)
- Place
- Puyallup, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N75778Cessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 21, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990413003329A
- Case key
- 46107
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 failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
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 reported that upon touchdown, the aircraft 'bounced' and he elected to initiate a go-around. The aircraft momentarily became airborne and started to roll to the left. He tried to compensate for the wing low attitude, the aircraft's stall warning horn sounded and the aircraft collided with the ground. The aircraft's nose gear was sheared off and there was extensive damage to both wings. There were no mechanical malfunctions or failures reported with the aircraft.
Factual narrative
On April 13, 1999, approximately 1135 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N75778, registered to Spanaflight, Incorporated, was substantially damaged after a bounced landing at Pierce County-Thun Airport, Puyallup, Washington. The aircraft was being operated as a title 14 CFR 91 instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The student pilot, the sole occupant, was uninjured. The flight originated from the Pierce County Airport approximately one hour and 20 minutes prior to the accident.
The pilot reported that upon touchdown on runway 34, the aircraft "bounced" and he elected to initiate a go-around. The pilot applied "a little back pressure to the yoke then added full power". The aircraft momentarily became airborne and started to roll to the left. As the pilot tried to compensate for the wing low attitude, the aircraft's stall warning horn sounded and the aircraft collided with the ground in a nose low attitude. The aircraft came to rest approximately 30 feet west of runway 34. The aircraft's nose gear was sheared off and there was extensive damage to both wings.
The pilot reported no mechanical malfunction or failure with the aircraft prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N75778
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 67943
- Airframe hours
- 3,335
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Spanaflight
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 13, 1999 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- 1S0
- Airport
- 1S0 · Pierce County Airport, runway 34, 3,650 × 60 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
- 38
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 33 total · 33 in this make and model · 4 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 40 knots, gusting 5
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KTC, 8 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.