N612CB

On February 21, 2004, about 1330 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172P airplane, N612CB, sustained substantial damage following a hard landing and nose landing gear collapse at the North Tampa Aero Park, Lutz, Florida. The solo student pilot was not injured. The Title 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight was operated by Helicopter Structural and Maintenance, Inc., Lutz, in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was filed for the local flight.

During a telephone conversation with an NTSB investigator on March 15, the student pilot related he was landing on runway 32 with a slight quartering headwind. He said during the landing flare the airplane ballooned and landed hard, which resulted in the collapse of the nose landing gear and structural damage to the firewall. The student pilot said there were no preimpact mechanical problems with the airplane.