Cessna 172 N5275S

Summary

On 6 April 2016 at about 15:45 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N5275S, operated by Westwind School of Aeronautics, was involved in an accident near Payson, Arizona, 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

6 April 2016 at 15:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Payson, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Payson (PAN)

Coordinates

34.2569, -111.3392

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N5275S

Category

Airplane

Year built

2002

Engines

1

Operator

Westwind School of Aeronautics

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Phoenix → Payson

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA16CA188

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot's failure to maintain pitch control during the landing flare, resulting in the subsequent porpoise during landing and substantial damage to the firewall.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the student pilot, during landing on his solo flight the airplane porpoised. He reported that after landing he repositioned the airplane, but prior to takeoff, a fellow pilot, who witnessed the porpoise, contacted him on the VHF radio, and informed him that he should have the airplane checked out before attempting to takeoff. The student pilot taxied to the parking area and the airport manager and airframe and powerplant mechanic inspected the airplane. The student pilot called his flight instructor and conveyed the situation and the level of damage. However, according to the flight instructor, the student pilot only conveyed the damage to the tail skid. The flight instructor reported that he told the student to confer with the mechanic and determine if the airplane was airworthy. The student pilot departed and proceeded to the airport where his flight school was based. Shortly after the departure, the airport manager that looked the airplane over for the student pilot, called the flight school and conveyed the gravity of the situation and informed the school that the airplane actually sustained damage to the firewall, tail skid and rudder fairing. The flight instructor did not confer with anyone other than the student pilot to ensure the airplane was airworthy. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fire wall. The student pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies with the airplane prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.