- Date
- August 18, 2020, 12:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Phoenix, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N103VKCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20200818013709A
- Case key
- 101894
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 pitch attitude and landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructors delayed remedial action.
Findings · 5
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 receiving instruction reported that, while practicing a short field landing, he misjudged the touch down location, flared early and the airplane landed hard. The flight instructor reported that, he warned the pilot to maintain his pitch attitude, but he continued to flare and the airplane landed hard. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage aft of the nose wheel. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot receiving instruction reported that, while practicing a short field landing, he misjudged the touch down location, flared early and the airplane landed hard. The flight instructor reported that, he warned the pilot to maintain his pitch attitude, but he continued to flare and the airplane landed hard. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage aft of the nose wheel. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N103VK
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S8532
- Built
- 2000
- Airframe hours
- 4,369.7
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Westwind School of Aeronautics LLC
- Registered owner
- Westwind School of Aeronautics LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 7, 2020 · 35.3 hours before
- Departed
- DVT · Phoenix, AZ
- Destination
- DVT · Phoenix, AZ
- Airport
- DVT · Phoenix Deer Valley, runway 07R, 8,196 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 205 total · 205 in this make and model · 109 as pilot in command · 62 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 30
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 24, 2019
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 639 total · 328 in this make and model · 563 as pilot in command · 74 in the last 90 days · 49 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 108 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- KDVT
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 16, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.0 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.
Other investigations on N103VK · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.