Primary finding
Probable cause
The student's improper flare for landing and the instructor's delayed remedial action.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
During an attempted touch-and-go landing, the dual student pilot allowed the nose gear to contact the runway prior to the mains. The nosewheel impacted with sufficient energy to result in substantial damage to the aircraft's firewall.
Source record
Factual narrative
On March 11, 1994, approximately 1300 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 172, N52807, experienced a hard landing at Boeing Field, Seattle, Washington. The CFI and her student were not injured, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The FAR Part 91 dual instructional flight, which departed the same location about 5 minutes earlier, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed, and there was no report of an ELT activation. According to the CFI, during one of the student's touch-and-go landings, he either forced the nose gear of the aircraft onto the runway, or suddenly released back-pressure, allowing the aircraft's nose to rapidly drop. This resulted in the nosewheel contacting the runway prior to the main gear with enough force to result in substantial damage to the firewall. The CFI took control of the aircraft during the landing attempt, but not in time to prevent the hard landing. -