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GAA15CA208

2015-07-22 · North Vernon, Indiana, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport OVO

Current FAA registration · N133VU

Make / Model
CESSNA 172R
Year of manufacture
2003 · 12 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING TIO-360 SER (282 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20030918
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A08844

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain pitch control during the landing touchdown, resulting in a hard landing.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that during the landing touchdown at night, she underestimated how high she was. She reported that the airplane landed on the main landing gear, "bounced back up," then landed on the nose landing gear, and that "it was a hard landing, bouncing a couple of times." A postflight inspection revealed substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that during the landing touchdown at night, she underestimated how high she was. She reported that the airplane landed on the main landing gear, "bounced back up," then landed on the nose landing gear, and that "it was a hard landing, bouncing a couple of times." A postflight inspection revealed substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Pitch control-Not attained/maintained - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2015_GAA15CA208.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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