Cessna 172 N212BS accident near La Grange, Texas

Probable cause

The pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing.

NTSB analysis

The student pilot was conducting a solo cross-country flight. Upon arriving at the destination airport, he overflew the runway to determine the wind direction from the windsock then performed a normal approach. He stated that, during the landing flare, a gust of wind came from the right side and lifted the airplane. The airplane then landed hard, bounced once, then came to a stop, resulting in substantial damage to the firewall and a collapsed nose landing gear. Review of the wind conditions revealed a light right crosswind around the time of the accident. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with an improper flare and hard landing.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN19LA302 for the full record.