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Atlas / NTSB / FTW95LA036

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event FTW95LA036

1994-10-29 COLORADO SPGS, Colorado, United States Airport · COS None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N52521

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

CESSNA 172P

Year of manufacture

1980 · 14 years old at event

Engine

LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)

Seats / Engines

4 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

19810107

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A69E39

Registrant of record

REBEL AVIATION INC

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER LANDING FLARE, THE RESULTANT PORPOISE AND AN INADEQUATE RECOVERY FROM THE BOUNCED LANDING.

Factual narrative

On October 29, 1994, at 1030 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172P, N52521, was substantially damaged during landing near Colorado Springs, Colorado. The solo student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight. The pilot reported performing a series of takeoffs and landings on runway 17 at Colorado Springs Airport. During the final landing, the airplane "ballooned" after touching down on the main landing gear. The airplane touched down again on "all three wheels simultaneously." The nose tire blew, the aircraft departed the right side of the runway and hit a small ditch before coming to rest nose down. Damage occurred to the firewall and lower fuselage area aft of the firewall. THE SOLO STUDENT PILOT PERFORMED A SERIES OF TOUCH AND GOES. DURING THE FINAL LANDING FLARE/TOUCHDOWN THE AIRPLANE BALLOONED AND THEN TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RUNWAY. THE NOSE TIRE BLEW OUT AND THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, HIT A DITCH, AND CAME TO REST NOSE DOWN. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1994_FTW95LA036.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.