- Date
- May 7, 2011, 10:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Grants Pass, OR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8287XCessna 172C
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 12, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20110507030409A
- Case key
- 85514
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 failure to maintain an adequate airspeed on approach, 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 student pilot stated that he was practicing short field landings and configured the airplane with full flaps on the approach. The student pilot reduced power too early for the airplane configuration, which caused a loss of airspeed and a subsequent hard landing. During subsequent annual maintenance, a mechanic noted that the firewall was bent. The student pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The student pilot stated that he was practicing short field landings and configured the airplane with full flaps on the approach. The student pilot reduced power too early for the airplane configuration, which caused a loss of airspeed and a subsequent hard landing. During annual maintenance, a mechanic noted that the firewall was bent. The student pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8287X
- Reported as
- Cessna 172C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17248787
- Airframe hours
- 4,951
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-300 SER, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 30, 2011
- Departed
- 3S8 · Grants Pass, OR
- Destination
- 3S8 · Grants Pass, OR
- Airport
- 3S8 · Grants Pass, runway 13, 4,001 × 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 6, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 140 total · 140 in this make and model · 9 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- KMFR
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 14, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 396 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.
Other investigations on N8287X · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.