Summary
On April 26, 2012, a Cessna 172S (N320ME) was involved in an incident near Glendale, AZ. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's inadequate flare and compensation for gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a bounced landing.
On April 26, 2012, about 1330 mountain standard time, a Cessna 172S, N320ME, sustained substantial damage following a hard landing at the Glendale Municipal Airport, Glendale, Arizona. The commercial pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was registered to Air Safety Ventures, and operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) local personal flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight that originated from Glendale at 1155.
The pilot was landing in gusting wind conditions and reported that he encountered a wind shear during the landing flare on runway 19.
This incident is documented in NTSB report WPR12LA444. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N320ME.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's inadequate flare and compensation for gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a bounced landing.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On April 26, 2012, about 1330 mountain standard time, a Cessna 172S, N320ME, sustained substantial damage following a hard landing at the Glendale Municipal Airport, Glendale, Arizona. The commercial pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was registered to Air Safety Ventures, and operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) local personal flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight that originated from Glendale at 1155.
The pilot was landing in gusting wind conditions and reported that he encountered a wind shear during the landing flare on runway 19. The airplane bounced and he applied corrective actions; however, the airplane touched down a second time, on its nose wheel, which resulted in substantial damage to the firewall.
The wind conditions during the timeframe of the accident were from 200 degrees at 14 knots with gusts to 24 knots.
The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# WPR12LA444