Knoxville Downtown Island Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Knoxville, Tennessee 37915
Saturday, August 3, 2013 11:45 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The solo student pilot reported that she was practicing takeoffs and landings. During landing, the airplane touched down hard and bounced back into the air. It then stalled and porpoised several times, before the nosegear collapsed and the airplane came to rest upright on the runway. The student pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane and examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any. The inspector observed damage to the propeller, nosegear assembly, and firewall. The recorded weather near the accident site, about the time of the accident, was a headwind at 8 knots.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The student pilot's improper flare and improper recovery from a bounced landing.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/3/2013
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1145
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City Knoxville
Event State TENNESSEE
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 37915
Event Date Year 2013
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 355750N
Event Location Longitude 0835225W
Event Location Airport Knoxville Downtown Island
Event Location Nearest Airport ID DKX
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 833
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 30
Weather Observation Facility ID TYS
Elevation of weather observation facility 981
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 12
Time Zone of the weather observation --
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 25000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 1800
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Few
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 27
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 19
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 250
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 8
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.06
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) 31991
NTSB Notification Source FAA Southern ROC
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information --
Date of most recent change to record Nov 7 2013 3:39PM
User who most recently changed record kenj
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N737PD
NTSB Number ERA13CA404
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 172N
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 17269561
Certified Max Gross Weight 2300
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class --
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats 2
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats 2
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 Jul 19 2013 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 54
Airframe Hours 9993
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type C91
Aircraft Owner Name UNLIMITED AVIATION INC
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City KNOXVILLE
Aircraft Owner State TN
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 37918-1403
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name KNOX FLIGHT TRAINING
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address --
Operator City KNOXVILLE
Operator State TN
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 37918-1403
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 DKX
Departure City Knoxville
Departure State TN
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1130
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code DKX
Destination City Knoxville
Destination State TN
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight --
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Nov 7 2013 3:39PM
User who most recently changed record kenj
Since inspection or accident Last Inspection
Event Location Runway Number and Location 26
Runway Length 3499
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --