Cessna 172N N734JT

Summary

On 21 October 2003 at about 16:45 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N734JT, operated by Indian River Flying Club, was involved in an accident near Melbourne, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 October 2003 at 16:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Melbourne, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Melbourne International Airpt (KMLB)

Coordinates

28.1028, -80.6453

Aircraft

Cessna 172N

Registration

N734JT

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Indian River Flying Club

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Titusville → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA04CA009

Nobody was injured.

Inadvertent full retraction of the flaps, while recovering from a bounced landing, resulting in an inadvertent stall, uncontrolled descent, and subsequent impact with terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private-rated pilot was on final approach for runway 4, and flared too high with full flaps. The airplane touched down and bounced two to three times, the last bounce was around 25 to 35 feet high. The pilot applied full throttle, switched carburetor heat off and hit the flap switch to retract 1 notch of flaps. The airplane pitched nose down and impacted the runway; ground scars on the north edge of the runway associated with the propeller blades were noted. Damage to the fuselage and propeller was noted; one of the propeller blades was bent forward. Post accident, the pilot noticed the flaps were fully retracted.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.