- Date
- December 23, 2013, 15:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Fullerton, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N80238Cessna 172M
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20131223025059A
- Case key
- 88582
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 inadequate landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing.
Findings · 2
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 operator stated that the student pilot had amassed over 40 flight hours and was performing a local area practice flight. During landing, the airplane touched down hard and bounced several times down the runway surface. During the accident sequence, the airplane incurred substantial damage to the firewall. The operator reported no pre impact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The operator stated that the student pilot had amassed over 40 flight hours and was performing a local area practice flight. During landing, the airplane touched down hard and bounced several times down the runway surface. During the accident sequence, the airplane incurred substantial damage to the firewall. The operator reported no pre impact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N80238
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M (M)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17266466
- Built
- 1975
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Departed
- FUL · Fullerton, CA
- Destination
- FUL · Fullerton, CA
- Airport
- FUL · Fullerton Muni, runway 24, 3,200 × 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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 40 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 16, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 761 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.