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GAA16CA104

2016-01-12 · Dothan, Alabama, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport DHN

Current FAA registration · N417ER

Make / Model
CESSNA 172S
Year of manufacture
2014 · 2 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING IO-360-L2A (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20140613
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A4EE95

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot-rated student's hard landing, which resulted in fuselage damage.

Factual narrative

The operator reported that the solo pilot-rated student was conducting a cross county flight and during the touchdown, the airplane bounced "multiple times," landed hard, and the propeller impacted the runway. The pilot taxied off the runway without further incident. A postflight inspection revealed substantial damage to the firewall and to the floorboards underneath the rudder pedals. The operator reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The operator reported that the solo pilot-rated student was conducting a cross county flight and during the touchdown, the airplane bounced "multiple times," landed hard, and the propeller impacted the runway. The pilot taxied off the runway without further incident. A postflight inspection revealed substantial damage to the firewall and to the floorboards underneath the rudder pedals. The operator 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-Student/instructed pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Landing flare-Not attained/maintained - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2016_GAA16CA104.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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