- Date
- July 24, 2011, 10:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sandy, OR
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N758TTCessna R172K
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 20, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20110724015569A
- Case key
- 81384
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 flare which resulted in a hard landing.
Findings · 3
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
The pilot was landing on a turf airstrip and had established a steep approach due to trees at the approach end of the runway. During the flare touchdown, the airplane landed hard on the nose gear, resulting in damage to the firewall. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was landing on a turf airstrip when the accident occurred. Due to trees on the approach end of the runway, the airplane's approach angle was steep. During the flare, the airplane landed hard on the nose gear, resulting in damage to the firewall. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. This accident was reported to the NTSB on August 4, 2011.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N758TT
- Reported as
- Cessna R172K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- R1723354
- Airframe hours
- 1,734
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO-360-K, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Paul Lawson
- Registered owner
- Paul Lawson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2010 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- KVUO · Vancouver, WA
- Destination
- OG29 · Sandy, OR
- Airport
- OG29 · McKinnon Airpark, runway 07, 3,000 × 50 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
- 71
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 31, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,489 total · 1,534 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- TTD, 10 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 2, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 690 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.