N124ER

On February 19, 2004, about 1400 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172P airplane, N124ER, sustained substantial damage following a hard landing and nose landing gear collapse at the Airglades Airpark, Clewiston, Florida. The solo student pilot was not injured. The Title 14, CFR Part 91 instructional cross country flight departed the Palm Beach County Park Airport, West Palm Beach, Florida, about 1330, en route to the Airglades Airpark. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.

During a telephone conversation with an NTSB investigator on February 19, an FAA inspector from the Miami Flight Standards District Office who spoke with the pilot shortly after the accident, said the student pilot related he was on his first solo cross country flight, and that the accident occurred while landing on runway 13 at the Airglades Airpark. According to the inspector, the pilot stated that he pushed the nose down during the landing flare because he thought he was too high. The airplane landed hard on the nose wheel, which resulted in the collapse of the nose landing gear. The airplane subsequently slid off the runway, encountered a ditch, and nosed over. The airplane received structural damage to the firewall, fuselage, and wings. The inspector said the student pilot told him there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.