ATL04CA145

Factual narrative

On July 8th, 2004, at 1045 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172 RG, N6321R, registered to and operated by Delta Flight Connection, landed wheels-up at Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport, Fernandina Beach, Florida. The airplane was being flown by the pilot during a Commercial Single Engine check ride under the provisions of Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The private pilot and check-airman were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight originated from Fernandina Beach, Florida at 0930. According to the check airman, he initiated single engine failure by pulling the carburator heat out and reducing the throttle to idle. The applicant performed the emergency items and called "gear down", "flaps down" and "something like 1st landing configuration complete". On short final, the check airman stated that he called out certain final items as a safety reminder such as gear down, mixture rich, props forward, cleared to land. " I can not recall if he acknowledged/double-checked these items." According to the Pilot in Command, "while I was plotting my course to make sure that was going to make the runway I was calling out the items on the checklist. I was trying to take the first half of the runway and I was high on the approach. I was trying to concentrate on getting down before the point that he (check airman) pointed out. I finally was getting done and I had my point made until we heard a horrendous noise which was the prop hitting the pavement." Examination of the airplane revealed engine and propeller damage, firewall damage, underbelly of fuselage damage as well as front doors and skin being cracked and buckled. The landing gear, all three wheels, was still in the wheel well. The subsequent functional test of the landing gear system failed to disclose a mechanical problem. The functional test also determined that the landing gear warning horn was properly working. According to the pilot, "while I was plotting my course to make sure that [I] was going to make the runway I was calling out the items on the checklist. I was trying to take the first half of the runway and I was high on the approach. I was trying to concentrate on getting down before the point that he (check airman) pointed out. I finally was getting [down] and I had my point made until we heard a horrendous noise which was the prop hitting the pavement." Examination of the airplane revealed engine and propeller damage, firewall damage, underbelly fuselage damage as well as front doors and skin being cracked and buckled. The landing gear system, all three wheels, were still in the wheel wells. The subsequent functional test of the landing gear system failed to disclose a mechanical problem. The functional test also determined that the landing gear warning horn was operational. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12