Cessna 172 N99HV

Summary

On 20 November 2020 at about 20:50 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N99HV, operated by Aerohawk LLC, was involved in an accident near Lawrence, Kansas, 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

20 November 2020 at 20:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Lawrence, Kansas, United States

Nearest airport

Lawrence Municipal (LWC)

Coordinates

39.0093, -95.2129

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N99HV

Category

Airplane

Operator

Aerohawk LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lawrence → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN21LA066

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot’s improper landing flare/touchdown which resulted in a hard landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot planned on a solo flight and reported that he didn't notice anything unusual during the pre-fight inspection. Before takeoff, he manipulated the control yoke through its full range of motion and did not notice any abnormalities.   The student pilot reported that during the first takeoff, the nose pitched up and airplane climbed much faster than expected which he attributed to the weight difference from flying solo rather than with an instructor in the airplane. He stayed in the traffic pattern and stated he was centered on the runway and pulled back on the yoke for the flare. The yoke suddenly came back, and the nose pitched very high. The student pilot added that he didn't expect this sudden pitch change and prepared to add full throttle for a go-around when the airplane stalled and landed hard. After landing the student pilot moved the yoke through the full range forward and backward to check the functionality. He stated that he did not notice the same "pop" forward and backward like he did during the previous landing, so he taxied back for another takeoff.   The student pilot again reported that during the second flight it was very difficult to control the pitch and airspeed and the yoke seemed to push either forward or backward over some type of "stuck" point, so he selected full flaps on final. After he initiated the landing flare, there was again a noticeable "snap" back of an inch or two of the control yoke. The main gear landed first, however; the nose wheel came down very fast.   Examination of the airplane found damage to the airplane’s nose gear and substantial damage to the firewall and fuselage. There were no abnormities that would indicate the damage was present before the student’s hard landings and the damage to the structure and flight controls are likely due to the student’s two hard landings.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.