- Date
- February 4, 2014, 08:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Eastsound, WA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N78330Cessna 172K
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 5, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 88862
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 flare and failure to maintain aircraft control during landing in gusty wind conditions.
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 reported that during landing, the airplane encountered a wind gust, landed hard and bounced several times. The nose gear collapsed and the airplane skidded to a stop, which resulted in substantial damage to the engine 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 during landing, the airplane encountered a wind gust, landed hard and bounced several times. The nose gear collapsed and the airplane skidded to a stop, which resulted in substantial damage to the engine firewall. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N78330
- Reported as
- Cessna 172K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17257567
- Built
- 1968
- Airframe hours
- 4,230
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 24, 2013
- Departed
- FHR · Friday Harbor, WA
- Destination
- ORS · Eastsound, WA
- Airport
- ORS · Orcas Island, runway 34, 2,900 × 60 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
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 12, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 525 total · 469.7 in this make and model · 394 as pilot in command · 3.5 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 11 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 27 °F, dew point 7 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.32 inHg
- Observed at
- ORS
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 20, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.9 MB in all.