Cessna 172 N734AV

Summary

On 30 August 2016 at about 17:00 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N734AV, operated by Upper Limit Aviation, Inc., was involved in an accident near Delta, Utah, 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

30 August 2016 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Delta, Utah, United States

Nearest airport

Delta Muni (DTA)

Coordinates

39.3836, -112.5022

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N734AV

Category

Airplane

Year built

1977

Engines

1

Operator

Upper Limit Aviation, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Delta → Delta

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA16CA496

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard, porpoised landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the student pilot, following the first leg of his solo cross-country flight, he entered the traffic pattern to land on runway 17 "because other traffic was using runway 17 even though winds were 050° at 3 knots." He reported that, as the airplane approached the runway, the airspeed was too high, and the airplane landed hard on the nosewheel and porpoised. He conceded, "I knew it was a hard landing, but did not hear the prop strike occur." The student pilot departed the airport and accomplished two approaches and a landing at a third airport before returning to his home airport where he accomplished two approaches, a landing, and then taxied to parking. The student pilot reported that he could have prevented the accident by performing a go-around when he realized that his approach speed was too high. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall. The student pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the engine or airframe that would have prevented normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.