• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
General Aviation News

General Aviation News

Because flying is cool

  • Pictures of the Day
    • Submit Picture of the Day
  • Stories
    • News
    • Features
    • Opinion
    • Products
    • NTSB Accidents
    • ASRS Reports
  • Comments
  • Classifieds
    • Place Classified Ad
  • Events
  • Digital Archives
  • Subscribe
  • Show Search
Hide Search

Student’s first solo bends 172

By NTSB · December 25, 2020 ·

The student pilot reported that during his first solo flight, as the Cessna 172 approached to land at the airport in Ormond Beach, Florida, he flared too early, before reaching ground effect.

Instead of performing a go-around, he pitched the airplane nose down, which resulted in a hard landing on the nosewheel first.

The airplane bounced and landed back on the main wheels before coming to a stop on the runway.

After shutdown, the student and instructor noticed damage to the firewall and lower fuselage.

Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions, nor did the student pilot report any.

Probable Cause: The student pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing.

NTSB Identification: 100822

This December 2019 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.

About NTSB

The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent federal agency charged by Congress with investigating every civil aviation accident in the United States and significant events in the other modes of transportation, including railroad, transit, highway, marine, pipeline, and commercial space. It determines the probable causes of accidents and issues safety recommendations aimed at preventing future occurrences.

Reader Interactions

Share this story

  • Share on Twitter Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook Share on Facebook
  • Share on LinkedIn Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Reddit Share on Reddit
  • Share via Email Share via Email

Become better informed pilot.

Join 110,000 readers each month and get the latest news and entertainment from the world of general aviation direct to your inbox, daily.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Curious to know what fellow pilots think on random stories on the General Aviation News website? Click on our Recent Comments page to find out. Read our Comment Policy here.

Comments

  1. José Serra says

    December 28, 2020 at 8:32 am

    Never try to save a landing with a push forward to the elevator. I don’t think that the instructor haven’t told that advice to the student in case.

  2. Glenn Swiatek says

    December 28, 2020 at 7:43 am

    When in doubt, go around.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMmHYWjEmkY

    It ain’t rocket science

© 2025 Flyer Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Comment Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Writer’s Guidelines
  • Photographer’s Guidelines