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GAA17CA122

2017-01-12 · Punta Gorda, Florida, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport PGD

Current FAA registration · N10897

Make / Model
CESSNA 172S
Year of manufacture
2007 · 10 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING IO-360-L2A (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20070924
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A0261F

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The student pilot’s failure to maintain proper pitch control, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing.

Factual narrative

The student pilot reported that during his solo cross-country flight, he performed touch and go landings and takeoffs. The student pilot reported that there was a notice to airman identifying that the precision approach path indicator (PAPI) lighting was not in service at the second of three airports on his itinerary. The student pilot was cleared for a touch and go at the airport with no PAPI and he reported that his landing was flat. He recalled that the airplane bounced but he completed the touch and go, and departed the airport for the final leg of his itinerary. He landed and shut down the airplane at his home airport, and "it was then that I noticed the bent prop tips. I immediately notified management." Further inspection of the airplane by the operator revealed substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The student pilot reported that, during his solo cross-country flight, he performed touch-and-go landings and takeoffs. The student pilot reported that there was a notice to airman identifying that the precision approach path indicator (PAPI) lighting was not in service at the second of three airports on his itinerary. The student pilot was cleared for a touch-and-go at the airport with no PAPI, and he reported that his landing was flat. He recalled that the airplane bounced but that he completed the touch-and-go and departed the airport for the final leg of his itinerary. He reported that he landed and shut down the airplane at his home airport, and "it was then that I noticed the bent prop tips. I immediately notified management." Further examination of the airplane by the operator revealed substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident 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 Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Pitch control-Not attained/maintained - C
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Student/instructed pilot - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2017_GAA17CA122.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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