Cessna 172P N97277

Summary

On 30 October 2014 at about 11:48 local time, a Cessna 172P registered N97277, operated by ADF Airways, was involved in an accident near Miami, Florida, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 October 2014 at 11:48

Classification

Accident

Location

Miami, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airp (KTMB)

Coordinates

25.6431, -80.4344

Aircraft

Cessna 172P

Registration

N97277

Category

Airplane

Year built

1984

Engines

1

Operator

ADF Airways

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Miami → Miami

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA15CA038

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the student pilot to achieve a proper touchdown during a touch-and-go landing resulting in a hard landing and substantial damage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot had performed three uneventful landings with his instructor on board; his certified flight instructor later stated that the student, "… performed way above the standards needed to show me he would be safe during solo flight." While flying solo for the first time, the student performed one uneventful touch-and-go landing and remained in the traffic pattern for runway 9R. With a calm wind, the student pilot reported that the approach was normal; however, the landing was harder than normal. He continued the takeoff roll for another touch-and-go landing but reported hearing a weird sound. He added power, and believe that was the moment when the nose landing gear tire deflated. He then felt a, "strange movement and I felt the nose falling." He reduced power to abort the takeoff and then heard and felt something touching the floor. After coming to rest he contacted the air traffic control tower and reported what occurred. Postaccident inspection of the airplane by several FAA inspectors revealed the wings, upper fuselage, cabin, tail, main landing gear, primary flight controls, engine, and engine mount were intact. The nose landing gear inner cylinder was pushed up through the upper housing, and the firewall was damaged on the left, right, and aft sides of the nose landing gear mount. The upper quadrant of the firewall also exhibited a seven inch buckle. Following recovery of the airplane, the engine was started and found to operate normally. The operator also reported that the cabin floor was bent.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.