Casualties unknown

Student Pilot's Hard Landing Leads to Nose Gear Collapse and Runway Excursion (N3554Y)

Honolulu, HI, US

On August 13, 2004, a Cessna 172S (registration N3554Y) operated by Flight School Hawaii was involved in an aviation accident near Honolulu, HI. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the student pilot's misjudged flare, which resulted in a hard landing. Also causal was the student pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing and pilot induced porpoise and failure to maintain directional control on the landing roll, which resulted in… This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 4 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 2026-06-10Data APIEditorial standards

A student pilot experienced a hard landing, porpoising, and veered off the runway during a landing attempt. The nose gear collapsed on the third bounce, and the airplane came to rest on a grass median.

Event Overview

A student pilot was attempting to land an airplane when the aircraft experienced a hard landing, porpoised, and veered off the runway. The sequence of events began during the landing flare, where the airplane touched down hard and bounced back into the air. This initiated a series of bounces down the runway, with the airplane veering to the right.

Sequence of Events

After the initial hard touchdown and bounce, the airplane continued to bounce down the runway. On each bounce, the aircraft's direction shifted further to the right. The third bounce resulted in the collapse of the nose gear. Following the nose gear collapse, the airplane continued moving to the right, departing the runway surface and coming to rest on a grass median.

Pilot Report

The student pilot did not report any mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. No other information regarding the aircraft type, registration, date, location, or occupants was provided in the source.

Conclusion

The incident was characterized by a hard landing, porpoising, and a subsequent runway excursion. The nose gear collapse occurred on the third bounce. The source does not specify the cause of the hard landing or provide any analysis of contributing factors.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20040910X01390. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.