Accident Details
On January 26, 2017, at about 1230 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172R, registration N2382R, operated by Clearwater Helicopters, Inc., dba Tampa Bay Aviation, experienced a hard landing at Clearwater Air Park (CLW) in Clearwater, Florida. The airplane was substantially damaged during the event. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured. The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a local personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight had originated from CLW approximately 30 minutes earlier.
Pilot Actions
The pilot performed a preflight inspection of the rental airplane and elected to have it fueled due to the fuel load. After fueling, he completed the inspection, noting a difficult passenger door and an issue with his lap belt, which he was able to secure. The propeller appeared undamaged during inspection. Following engine start, he taxied to runway 16 and performed an engine run-up with no discrepancies.
After takeoff, the pilot flew west toward the beach but turned back due to adverse weather nearby. He entered the traffic pattern for runway 16, which had a visual approach slope indicator that he did not activate. He turned onto the base leg and then final approach, maintaining 65 mph with flaps extended 30 degrees, reporting a standard descent rate with no airspeed fluctuations. During the first landing attempt at touchdown, a strong wind gust caused the airplane to climb about 10 feet, prompting a go-around.
For the second attempt, he used 10 degrees of flaps and maintained 65 mph on final approach. The pilot described the touchdown as "perfect soft" on the numbers, with no propeller strike experienced. He then taxied to the tie-down area, secured the airplane, and reported discrepancies for the lap belt and a fuel gauge indicating 5 gallons after fueling.
Post-Flight Discovery
According to the operator, a review of airport surveillance video showed that later that day, maintenance personnel observed damage to the propeller on the airplane, which had not been moved or operated since the pilot returned it. Aircraft operational records and the hour meter indicated no use after the pilot's flight. When the mechanics hand-rotated the propeller, they heard internal engine damage and subsequently noted damage to the firewall. The hour meter reading matched the value recorded when the pilot secured the airplane. Subsequent testing of the hour meter under FAA oversight found it to operate satisfactorily with no discrepancies.
Operator Report
The operator stated that the airplane had been flown the previous evening on a training flight with a student and instructor, concluding uneventfully, and was secured afterward. Airport surveillance video showed the accident pilot inspecting the propeller after securing the airplane at the end of his flight.