Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Gary Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Gary, Indiana 46406
Saturday, September 4, 2004 18:42 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane experienced a failure of the nose wheel during a landing. The student reported she made three takeoffs and landings with her flight instructor in the airplane. He then deplaned and she continued to practice more takeoffs and landings. She stated that everything was normal on the fifth solo landing until she heard a loud noise as the nose wheel touched down on the runway. She stated the airplane veered right and came to an abrupt stop. The student pilot exited the airplane and noticed the nose tire was flat, the wheel rim was missing, and the propeller had contacted the runway. During a telephone interview the student pilot stated the landing was not the smoothest one she has made, nor was it the hardest. When asked if the main gear or nose gear touched the runway first, she stated she believes that all three gear touched down at the same time. Pieces of the wheel which were collected off the runway were sent to the National Transportation Safety Board Materials Laboratory for examination. The Materials Laboratory examination revealed the pieces that were examined contained features that were consistent with overstress fractures. However, the pieces received did not make up the entire wheel.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of the nose wheel for undetermined reasons. A factor associated with the accident was the student pilot's failure to properly flare the airplane.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/4/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1842 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Gary |
| Event State | INDIANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 46406 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 413659N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0872446W |
| Event Location Airport | Gary |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | GYY |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 592 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1850 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GYY |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 592 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 9000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 28 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 40 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.08 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 17901 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 8 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 902 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 7 2005 10:33AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | South Bend, IN FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2355E |
| NTSB Number | CHI04LA248 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 172 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17271248 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2300 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 30 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 15 |
| Airframe Hours | 4860 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | LAB LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3511 Silverside Road |
| Aircraft Owner City | Wilmington |
| Aircraft Owner State | DE |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 19810 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Aviation Professionals, Inc. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 5701 W. Industrial Hwy |
| Operator City | Gary |
| Operator State | IN |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 46406 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | GYY |
| Departure City | Gary |
| Departure State | IN |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1815 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | GYY |
| Destination City | Gary |
| Destination State | IN |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing - flare/touchdown |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 10 2005 10:01AM |
| User who most recently changed record | SULP |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 12 |
| Runway Length | 6290 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |