N548ND – CESSNA 172S – 2012-07-10 NTSB Accident Report

On July 10, 2012, a Cessna 172S (N548ND) was involved in an incident near Grand Forks, ND. 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, which resulted in a hard landing.

According to the student pilot, he entered the downwind leg for runway 17L as instructed by the control tower. The airspeed was about 80 KIAS (knots indicated airspeed). When he passed his aiming (touchdown) point, he initiated a descent. The airplane was stabilized on final approach, but when the student pilot went to land, he flared too late, resulting in a hard landing. The student pilot turned onto the taxiway to do an after-landing checklist and discovered the nose wheel tire was deflated. A postaccident examination revealed that the firewall and floorboard panels were wrinkled. The student pilot reported no preaccident anomalies or failures that would have prevented normal operation.

This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN12CA426. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N548ND.