Probable cause
The pilot’s inadequate compensation for gusting crosswind conditions during landing, which resulted in a hard landing.
NTSB analysis
The pilot estimated the wind was from 270 degrees at 13 mph gusting to 25 mph when he was conducting a touch-and-go landing on runway 1. As the main landing gear touched down, a gust of wind lifted the airplane back into the air, to an altitude of about 8 feet above ground level. The airplane landed again, hard, on the runway, and the pilot added power to abort the landing. The pilot returned to his departure airport without further incident; however, subsequent examination revealed damage to the engine firewall. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA12CA209 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Mar 4, 2012
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Lafayette, Tennessee
- Nearest airport
- Lafayette Municipal (3M7)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Cessna 172S
- N-number
- N53460
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
Other records under this N-number
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.