- Date
- September 7, 2020, 12:40 local (19:40 UTC)
- Place
- Stuart Island, WA
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N172CSCessna 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
- 20200907013789A
- Case key
- 101936
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 approach airspeed and landing flare, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing and nose over.
Findings · 4
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 a steep approach, the airplane touched down with “excessive” speed and the airplane bounced hard and nosed over. The left-wing lift strut and the tailcone were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N172CS
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (M)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17262260
- Built
- 1973
- Airframe hours
- 8,745.5
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 15, 2020 · 14.2 hours before
- Departed
- WN53 · Lake Stevens, WA
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 2WA3 · Stuart Island West, runway 270, 1,560 × 50 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 57
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 13, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 534 total · 205 in this make and model · 482 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 12 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,400 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- CYYJ, 8 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 3, 2021, 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.