- Date
- May 10, 2013, 10:15 local (16:15 UTC)
- Place
- Newcastle, WY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7610FCessna 172N
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 29, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA-FSFO
- FAA report
- 20130510007609A
- Case key
- 86859
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 attain the proper touchdown point, which resulted in an undershoot of the runway.
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 while on final approach for landing, about 20 feet above ground level and about 15 feet from the approach end of the runway, the airplane began to sink and that it touched down hard off the runway surface. The nose wheel dug into the terrain, and the airplane nosed over resulting in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The student pilot stated that while on final approach for landing, about 20 feet above ground level, and about 15 feet from the approach end of the runway, the airplane began to sink and it touched down hard off the runway surface. Subsequently, the nose wheel dug into the terrain and the airplane nosed over resulting in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7610F
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17273268
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Flightline Inc
- Registered owner
- Flightline Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- GCC · Gillette, WY
- Destination
- KECS · Newcastle, WY
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- KECS · Mondell Field Airport, runway 31, 5,300 × 75 ft, concrete
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
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 10, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 53 total · 53 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- KECS, 1 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 12, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.8 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.