On 21 Aug 2013, a CESSNA 172S was involved in an aviation accident near Indianapolis, IN. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's inadequate monitoring on the airplane's airspeed during the go-around, resulting in a stall. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
During landing flare, right wing dropped. Pilot initiated go-around but airspeed dropped below 40 knots, causing stall and hard landing. Right main landing gear collapsed, damaging firewall and fuselage.
Accident Summary
During the landing flare, while the aircraft was approximately 2 to 4 feet above the runway, the right wing dropped. In response, the pilot advanced the throttle to full forward and attempted a go-around maneuver. During the go-around, the airspeed decreased below 40 knots, causing the airplane to stall. The aircraft subsequently landed hard, and the right main landing gear collapsed as a result of the impact. The hard landing resulted in substantial damage to the firewall and fuselage.
Pilot's Comment
The pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented by closely monitoring and maintaining an airspeed above the stall speed.