Cessna 172R N35408

Summary

On 18 September 2021 at about 22:00 local time, a Cessna 172R registered N35408, operated by Elmendorf Aero Club, was involved in an accident near Birchwood, Alaska, United States. 2 people were 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 September 2021 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Birchwood, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Birchwood (PABV)

Coordinates

61.3662, -149.5083

Aircraft

Cessna 172R

Registration

N35408

Category

Airplane

Year built

2001

Engines

1

Operator

Elmendorf Aero Club

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Jber → Birchwood

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC21LA100

Nobody was injured.

The flight instructor’s inadequate supervision of the student pilot, and student pilot’s improper landing flare, resulting in a hard landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the flight instructor, the student pilot was practicing takeoffs and landings at the time of the accident. He reported that the student pilot completed 4 takeoffs and landings with the tendency to initiate the landing flare “a little early” and the airplane “came down a little harder” than expected. On the following landing, the instructor decided to tell the student when to start the landing flare. The approach was stabilized, but when he instructed the student to begin to flare, the student “pulled back on the yoke hard” which he had not done before. The airplane pitched “way up” and started to drift off the runway. The flight instructor assumed control, but the airplane “landed extremely hard.” The student pilot noted that he pulled back on the control wheel “too quickly and too hard.” They taxied off the runway to inspect the airplane. Observing no obvious damage, they returned to their home airport with no further difficulties. He subsequently reported the event to the flight club chief pilot and mechanic. Neither pilot reported any anomalies with respect to the airplane. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed damage to the lower fuselage aft of the nose landing gear.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.