Cessna 172 N2355E

Summary

On 4 September 2004 at about 23:42 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N2355E, operated by Aviation Professionals, Inc., was involved in an accident near Gary, 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

4 September 2004 at 23:42

Classification

Accident

Location

Gary, Indiana, United States

Nearest airport

Gary (GYY)

Coordinates

41.6164, -87.4128

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N2355E

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Aviation Professionals, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Gary → Gary

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI04LA248

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the nose wheel for undetermined reasons. A factor associated with the accident was the student pilot's failure to properly flare the airplane.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane experienced a failure of the nose wheel during a landing. The student reported she made three takeoffs and landings with her flight instructor in the airplane. He then deplaned and she continued to practice more takeoffs and landings. She stated that everything was normal on the fifth solo landing until she heard a loud noise as the nose wheel touched down on the runway. She stated the airplane veered right and came to an abrupt stop. The student pilot exited the airplane and noticed the nose tire was flat, the wheel rim was missing, and the propeller had contacted the runway. During a telephone interview the student pilot stated the landing was not the smoothest one she has made, nor was it the hardest. When asked if the main gear or nose gear touched the runway first, she stated she believes that all three gear touched down at the same time. Pieces of the wheel which were collected off the runway were sent to the National Transportation Safety Board Materials Laboratory for examination. The Materials Laboratory examination revealed the pieces that were examined contained features that were consistent with overstress fractures. However, the pieces received did not make up the entire wheel.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.