N73664

On May 13, 1996, at 1730 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172M, N73664, operated by a student pilot on a solo cross country instructional flight, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing at Findlay Airport, in Findlay, Ohio. The solo student pilot, the sole occupant, reported no injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, and no flight plan was filed. The solo cross country flight, operated under 14 CFR Part 91, and originated from Wooster, Ohio, at 1650, with planned landings at Findlay, Ohio and Columbus, Ohio.

The student pilot stated that upon arrival at the Findlay Airport, the airplane was "...coming in for a landing and flared [too] early causing the plane to balloon up, and then the aircraft stalled. The aircraft slammed to the ground before I could apply throttle. " The student pilot stated that the airplane "...was probably 5-10 feet above the runway..." when it stalled.