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GAA16CA295

2016-06-07 · Thomson, Georgia, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport HQU

Current FAA registration · N124CK

Make / Model
CESSNA 172S
Year of manufacture
2005 · 11 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING IO-360-L2A (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20050329
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A062CA

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The student pilot's incorrect landing flare and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action, which resulted in a hard landing, nose wheel collapse, and runway excursion.

Factual narrative

The flight instructor reported that during a night training flight the airplane was high on final approach. He further reported that during the landing flare, the airplane ballooned and then touched down hard. The flight instructor attempted to abort the landing, but the nose gear collapsed during the touchdown and the airplane veered off the runway. The right wing and left elevator sustained substantial damage. The flight instructor did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The flight instructor reported that during a night training flight the airplane was high on final approach. He further reported that during the landing flare, the airplane ballooned and then touched down hard. The flight instructor attempted to abort the landing, but the nose gear collapsed during the touchdown and the airplane veered off the runway. The right wing and left elevator sustained substantial damage. The flight instructor did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane 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 Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Delayed action-Instructor/check pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Landing flare-Incorrect use/operation - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2016_GAA16CA295.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (runway excursion). All research papers