CESSNA 172P
Fort Pierce, FL, May 3, 2011
Event Information
| Date | May 3, 2011 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| Location | Fort Pierce, FL |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 27.49167, -80.37028 |
| Airport | St. Lucie County International |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
| NTSB Number | ERA11CA283 |
| Event ID | 20110505X62208 |
Aircraft
| Make | CESSNA |
| Model | 172P |
| Registration # | N5460K |
| Operator | EUROPEAN FLIGHT TRAINING |
| Owner | ARI BEN AVIATOR INC |
| Category | AIR |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 1 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The student pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Full Narrative
According to the student pilot, during his third solo flight, the airplane was stable on the final leg of the traffic pattern. He increased the pitch of the airplane and began to flare when the stall warning horn sounded. The student pilot then released the back pressure on the yoke to decrease pitch, the airplane impacted the runway, and the nose wheel "bounced heavily." After the airplane bounced heavily, the nosewheel buckled and the right rudder pedal jammed to the right. The airplane then veered off to the right side of the runway, coming to rest in a grass apron. During the accident sequence, the airplane incurred substantial damage to the firewall. During a subsequent examination of the wreckage, a Federal Aviation Administration inspector found no preexisting anomalies of the airplane, nor did the student pilot report any.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.