Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Hard Landing: Cessna 172N Skyhawk, N739UA; accident occurred November 12, 2019 at North Perry Airport (KHWO), Broward County, Florida

View of damaged left wing
Federal Aviation Administration





Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Miramar, Florida 

Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms

https://registry.faa.gov/N739UA



Location: Pembroke Pines, FL
Accident Number: GAA20CA067
Date & Time: 11/12/2019, 0951 EST
Registration: N739UA
Aircraft: Cessna 172
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Hard landing
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Instructional

The solo student pilot reported that, during the approach for landing, the airspeed was slightly high, but he was maintaining runway centerline. The airplane subsequently touched down hard and veered left. He applied right aileron and rudder control, but the airplane continued left, exited the runway, and struck a taxiway sign.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing.

The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

The student pilot did not submit the NTSB Form 6120.1 Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report. 

Student Pilot Information

Certificate: Student
Age: 19, Male
Airplane Rating(s): None
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s):None 
Restraint Used:
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed:No 
Medical Certification: Class 1 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 07/01/2019
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time:  (Estimated) 72 hours (Total, all aircraft), 30 hours (Total, this make and model) 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N739UA
Model/Series: 172 N
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1978
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 17270806
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 4
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 10/03/2019, 100 Hour
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 2299 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 19690.2 Hours as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: Lycoming
ELT: Installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: O-320-E2D
Registered Owner: Delaware Trust Co Trustee
Rated Power:
Operator: Wayman Aviation Academy
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KHWO, 9 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 1453 UTC
Direction from Accident Site: 184°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Visibility:  10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 5 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: None / None
Wind Direction: 180°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: N/A / N/A
Altimeter Setting: 30 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 28°C / 19°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Pembroke Pines, FL (HWO)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Pembroke Pines, FL (HWO)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time:  EST
Type of Airspace: Class D

Airport Information

Airport: North Perry (HWO)
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 8 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 10R
IFR Approach:None 
Runway Length/Width: 3255 ft / 100 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Stop and Go

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries:N/A 
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 None
Latitude, Longitude: 26.001111, -80.240833 (est)

12 comments:

  1. Well ... The video pretty much contradicts everything in the student pilots statement.

    Nice video though.

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  2. ...... and the ball never left the center until the plane was screeching off the runway with a "5 kt, 80 deg x-wind"

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  3. In the crash video, I chuckled as the plane slowly settled off its nose. It was as if it sighed, "I quit. I'm too old for this s**t!"

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  4. Very high airspeed (90/95 kts on final?!?), and didn't go around when he had several opportunities to do so.

    I also LOL'd at the last comment "I quit. I'm too old for this s**t!" Poor airplane.

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  5. That airspeed indicator was showing about 90 knots on short final. Way too fast even with a zero flap 172 approach (while no official POH reference, a zero flap final approach should be ball park 70kts depending on landing weight and winds/turbulence).

    Besides the needle obvious it was obvious he was trying to force the plane nose down on the ground and got into oscillations. If the plane doesn't want to come down, that's your first clue you are going too fast.

    Then there's the fact this 19 year old has a whopping 70 hours, 30 of which are solo and he's STILL a student solo? What idiot instructor signed him off for a solo? This kid has no business getting into the aviation world as a career pilot. At some point, you aren't cut out for it. I hope others see it this way before he gets into the cockpit of an aircraft with passengers and kills everyone on board thinking that he can just fly it on autopilot. Sound familiar? It is: Asiana 777 SFO crash.

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  6. ^^Correction to above: 30 hours in this aircraft. Not known what his solo hours are. But nonetheless, if he can't handle landing a 172 that any granny should be able to do at 20 hours max, he's not coordinated cut out to be a pilot. That's the bottom line, and there are many out there who should NEVER make the cut to being signed off for solo which will end any pursuit of a ticket. At least in the USA.

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  7. I loved the (wait for it) "BIG Thump" at the end; just like what always happens to Wiley Coyote.

    And remember; never exit a crashed airplane without first turning off the camera!

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  8. I feel empathy for the guy because he's young and now his hopes and dreams are dashed. I think his instructor(s) failed him. It could have been a language barrier as he looks Asian.

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  9. Standards of instruction these days seems to have deteriorated ? a perfectly good airplane wrecked by someone who was far from ready to fly solo,too many crashes these days from poor if any airmanship.

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  10. My final PPL checkout flight with the chief instructor to sign me off set me up with a 90-knot no-flap side slip on short final similar to where this guy was and told me to take over and land it. He was testing me as a 55 hour student looking for the PPL ticket. I corrected and adjusted and nailed it but I also had a 10,000x150' Air Force base runway to work with too. I think we used up about 3,000' of it by the time I got it on the ground and slowed to the nearest high speed turnoff (yeah I felt like a real jet pilot that day). This guy had no chance even if he was a competent pilot...which clearly he is not.

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  11. Left the flaps down after landing and getting out, so under traditional rules well known to older pilots, he has to buy everyone in the FBO lounge a soda when he walks in there.

    School lets you can wear the shirt that has the straps for them, but no epaulets for you if you crash!

    Flightaware shows the accident day as the most recent flight, so N739UA hasn't gone back into service yet.

    Here is a glamour shot of N739UA from a happier time (look on left side at 1:16 onward):
    https://youtu.be/TtfxCAEXZsc?t=76

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  12. The school commented on the Facebook inflight video that WSN-TV put up on Nov 25th: "Student was on his 2nd solo and left the runway. He is safe and doing remedial training"

    Follow up story:
    https://wsvn.com/news/local/camera-inside-cockpit-captures-plane-crash-at-north-perry-airport/

    ReplyDelete