Probable cause
The pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing.
NTSB analysis
The pilot said that he flared too high and the airplane bounced during a hard landing. After one bounce of approximately five to eight feet, the airplane landed nose gear first and the nose gear collapsed. There was substantial damage to the forward firewall, but no injuries to the pilot and the passenger. The pilot, who had 51 total hours of flight time, had four hours of experience in this type airplane, including one hour of instruction given four months previously.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN09CA229 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Feb 22, 2009
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Manhattan, Kansas
- Nearest airport
- Manhattan Regional Airport (KMHK)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Cessna 172
- N-number
- N733FR
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.