N2890X

On March 6, 1999, about 1430 eastern standard time, a Cessna 177, N2890X, registered to a private individual, crashed during landing at Lantana Airport, Lantana, Florida, while on a Title 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions were reported, and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged. The student pilot reported no injuries. The flight had departed the Lantana Airport about 1330.

According to the pilot he was practicing landings on runway 15, and was on his fourth takeoff. He said, "...on the downwind I went to push the control forward and it would not go." He attempted an approach to runway 15, but on final he was too high and decided to go around and try another approach. The pilot said, "...I was on final I was at 400 [feet] agl, and cut the power back to idle and hit the runway about 100 mph. The plane went end to end several times and hit the runway several times...I ended up on the east side of the grass." The pilot taxied the airplane to the parking area and noted that the airplane was damaged.

According to the FAA inspector's statement, the pilot explained that "the control yoke jammed upon performing a flare out during the landing phase of flight." The FAA inspector examined the wreckage, and observed a "stop drilled crack" in the tail cone fairing assembly adjacent to the elevator that "appeared to interfere with the travel of the flight control surface." Further examination revealed that the tail cone had sustained impact damage in the area of the stop drill crack. According to the FAA inspector the impact damage caused the interference with the travel of the flight control. He told the NTSB investigator-in-charge that the crush occurred after the pilot had made a hard landing, causing the damage.