Event MIA04CA028

Factual narrative

On November 21, 2003, about 1300 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172S, N378FA, registered to Air Audie Inc., and operated by Air Orlando Flight School, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 solo training flight , experienced a hard landing on runway 07, at Orlando Executive Airport, Orlando, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and the student pilot reported no injuries. The flight originated from Ocala International Airport, Ocala, Florida, the same day at 1215. The student pilot stated he was on final approach to runway 7, with 30 degrees of flaps and an airspeed between 65 and 68 knots. He flared and he felt a gust or quick jolt to the left, and the airplane slammed into the runway nose first and bounced. The second time the airplane came down with about a 45-degree angle to the runway and touched down, the airplane deviated towards the left. Application of the rudder was not effective. The pilot applied brakes to slow the aircraft down and was instructed by ground control to taxi to the ramp. A weather observation taken at 1253, the same day at Orlando Executive Airport, reported the wind was from 20 degrees at 10 knots. The airplane sustained damage to the nose wheel, propeller, and firewall. The student pilot was on approach to runway 7, with 30 degrees of flaps. He flared and felt a gust or quick jolt to the left, and the airplane slammed into the runway nose first and bounced. The airplane came down at about a 45-degree angle to the runway and touched down, then drifted to the left. The pilot was instructed by ground control to taxi to the ramp. The airplane suffered damage to the nose wheel, propeller, and firewall. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12