Cessna 172S N53352

Summary

On 18 June 2003 at about 13:25 local time, a Cessna 172S registered N53352, operated by FIT Aviation, LLC, was involved in an accident near Melbourne, Florida, United States. One person was 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

18 June 2003 at 13:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Melbourne, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Melbourne Regional (MLB)

Coordinates

28.1097, -80.7378

Aircraft

Cessna 172S

Registration

N53352

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

FIT Aviation, LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tallahassee → Melbourne

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA03CA125

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's improper flare and inadequate recovery from a bounced landing. Contributing factors were the pilot's failure to maintain directional control and his failure to execute a go-around.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated to an airport operator official that the airplane touched on the right of center line and bounced up with the engine power at idle. The airplane touched down a second time approximately 5 feet off the right side of runway 27L in the grass. The airplane continued to porpoise in the grass, bounced two more times well right of the runway. As the airplane began to porpoise for a third time, it descended toward a drainage ditch that was approximate 6 feet deep. The nose of the aircraft touched down in the middle of the ditch, causing the airplane to flip over, tail over nose. The pilot evacuated the airplane with no injuries.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.