Primary finding
Probable cause
the student pilot's improper flare which resulted in the airplane porpoising and the subsequent buckling of the firewall.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The student pilot was practicing touch and go landings. During the second landing, the airplane porpoised down the runway, and touched down on the nose wheel. The student pilot stated, '...finally, i managed to keep the plane on [the] ground....i shut off everything and stepped out....' postaccident examination revealed the firewall was buckled, and no preimpact anomalies with the engine or airframe. Additionally, the winds at the time of the accident were reported as calm.
Source record
Factual narrative
On July 24, 1995, about 1053 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172P, N51081, sustained substantial damage during the landing, at the Teterboro Airport, Teterboro, New Jersey. The student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the instructional flight operated by Freund Air Inc. There was no flight plan for the local flight conducted under CFR 14 Part 91. The student pilot reported in the NTSB form 6120.1/2, that he was practicing touch and go landings at Teterboro. During the second landing the airplane bounced down the runway. The student stated, "...Finally, I managed to keep the plane on [the] ground....I shut off everything and stepped out." According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector, the student pilot performed a landing on runway 19. During the landing, the airplane porpoised on the runway, bounced a few times, and the nose wheel struck the runway. Postaccident investigation by the FAA Inspector revealed that the firewall was buckled, and the nosewheel tire had blown. Furthermore, no preimpact anomalies were found with the engine or airframe. The winds at Teterboro Airport were reported at 1045 as calm. -