Summary
On April 30, 2010, a Cessna 172R (N429FF) was involved in an incident near Hampton, VA. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The student pilot's inadequate landing flare and improper recovery from a bounced landing. Contributing to the accident was the student’s decision to land with a tailwind.
The student pilot was landing at his home airport at the conclusion of a solo cross-country flight. He stated that when he contacted the air traffic control tower he was offered the option of runway 8 or 26. He chose to land on runway 8, which, "...had more of a tailwind at the time" and that in hindsight he "...should have taken the headwind instead." During the landing flare, the airplane "porpoised," and the nose landing gear impacted the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the engine firewall. The student pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies of the airplane. Winds, recorded at the airport about the time of the accident, were from 230 degrees true at 11 knots.
This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA10CA512. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N429FF.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The student pilot's inadequate landing flare and improper recovery from a bounced landing. Contributing to the accident was the student’s decision to land with a tailwind.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The student pilot was landing at his home airport at the conclusion of a solo cross-country flight. He stated that when he contacted the air traffic control tower he was offered the option of runway 8 or 26. He chose to land on runway 8, which, "...had more of a tailwind at the time" and that in hindsight he "...should have taken the headwind instead." During the landing flare, the airplane "porpoised," and the nose landing gear impacted the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the engine firewall. The student pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies of the airplane. Winds, recorded at the airport about the time of the accident, were from 230 degrees true at 11 knots.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA10CA512