- Date
- April 14, 2021, 16:40 local (23:40 UTC)
- Place
- Bellingham, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N51380Cessna 172P
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- 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
- Tscha
- FAA report
- 20210414009229A
- Case key
- 102913
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 inadequate flare resulting in a loss of control during landing with a crosswind and subsequent 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 student pilot reported that, he configured the airplane for landing on runway 34 and was compensating for a 9 kt left crosswind. The student pilot flared too aggressively, and the airplane ballooned, at which point he lost directional control. The airplane touched down and he applied excessive brake pressure. The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted, resulting in substantial damage to both wings. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N51380
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17274305
- Built
- 1980
- Airframe hours
- 15,745
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Regal Air
- Registered owner
- Aircraft Leasing Inc. C/O Regal Air
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 31, 2021 · 31 hours before
- Departed
- PAE · Everett, WA
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- BLI · Bellingham Intl Airport, runway 34, 6,701 × 150 ft, asphalt
- 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 32
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 63 total · 28 in this make and model · 3 as pilot in command · 33 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- BLI
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 1, 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.
Other investigations on N51380 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.