On 19 May 2016, a CESSNA 172 S operated by Freedom Aviation was involved in an aviation accident near Newport News, VA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot's incorrect pitch control during the landing flare, which resulted in abnormal runway contact and a substantially damaged firewall. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A solo student pilot reported a flat pitch attitude during landing, causing a nose wheel tire blowout, porpoising, propeller strike, and substantial firewall damage.
Flight History
A student pilot, operating solo after completing an instructional pattern flight of approximately 2 hours, took off and remained in the traffic pattern. The purpose of the solo flight was to practice landings.
Landing Incident
During the first landing touchdown, the student pilot reported landing in a flat pitch attitude. This resulted in the nose wheel tire blowing out. Subsequently, the airplane began to porpoise, leading to the propeller striking the runway. The impact caused substantial damage to the firewall.
Post-Accident Examination
The student pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. No other issues with the aircraft were noted.