- Date
- September 15, 2012, 22:10 local (Sep 16, 2012, 05:10 UTC)
- Place
- Eloy, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8293ECessna 172N
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report December 19, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20120915021619A
- Case key
- 85085
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, and his inadequate recovery from a bounced 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 stated that he had difficulty activating the pilot-controlled lighting at the airport, which resulted in the airplane entering the base leg of the traffic pattern higher and closer to the runway than normal. The airplane was high and fast on final and landed at the midfield point. The pilot landed the airplane hard on the nose wheel and porpoised at least twice while attempting to complete the landing. Postaccident examination revealed damage to the airplane's firewall.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that difficulty activating the pilot controlled lighting at the airport resulted in entering the base leg of the traffic pattern higher and closer to the runway than normal. He was high and fast on final, and landed at the midfield point. He landed the airplane hard on the nose wheel and porpoised at least twice while attempting to complete the landing. Post flight inspection revealed damage to the airplane's firewall.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8293E
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17272179
- Airframe hours
- 1,718
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Luna Thomas R
- Registered owner
- Luna Thomas R
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 25, 2011
- Departed
- KCGZ · Casa Grande, AZ
- Destination
- E60 · Eloy, AZ
- Airport
- E60 · Eloy Municipal Airport, runway 02, 3,900 × 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
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 7, 2012
- Flight hours
- 1,184 total · 1,150 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 315° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- KCGZ
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 12, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 MB 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.