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FTW95LA036

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

Airport COS

Current FAA registration · N52521

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

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 ↗.

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