Cessna 172S N229ME

Summary

On 26 June 2004 at about 16:50 local time, a Cessna 172S registered N229ME, operated by Indianapolis Aviation, Inc., was involved in an accident near Fishers, Indiana, 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

26 June 2004 at 16:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Fishers, Indiana, United States

Nearest airport

Indianapolis Metropolitan (UMP)

Coordinates

39.9353, -86.0450

Aircraft

Cessna 172S

Registration

N229ME

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Indianapolis Aviation, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fishers → Fishers

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI04CA165

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate remedial actions after an inadequate landing flare and subsequent hard landing. Additional causes were the pilot-induced porpoise and the collapse of the nose landing gear.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane experienced a hard landing, which was followed by a pilot-induced porpoise and the collapse of the nose landing gear. The student pilot was flying solo at the time of the accident. The pilot reported he crossed the runway threshold approximately 100 feet above ground level, and then reduced engine power to idle to initiate the descent to the runway. The pilot stated that during the landing flare the airplane touched down with a "mild impact," which was followed by the airplane bouncing back into the air. The pilot reported he continued to flare, with no addition of engine power, and the second touchdown was "harder than the first." The pilot stated, "No correction action attempted and third touchdown broke nose wheel, prop hit pavement and plane came to stop." He reported the accident could have been prevented if he had performed a go-around after experiencing the initial hard touchdown and subsequent bounce.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.