Cessna 172S N493ER accident near Deland, Florida

Probable cause

The student pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during the landing, and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the student pilot resulting in abnormal runway contact and damage to the airplane.

NTSB analysis

The flight instructor and the student pilot were practicing short field landings. Following an uneventful first landing, the airplane approached the runway for a second. While on the short final leg of the approach to the runway, the airplane began sinking rapidly. The flight instructor responded by advising the student, "full power." The student pilot thought the flight instructor had said, "pull power," and subsequently reduced engine power to idle. The airplane impacted the runway and bounced back into the air. The flight instructor then took control of the airplane and aborted the landing. Subsequent inspection of the airplane by maintenance personnel revealed that the nose landing gear and engine firewall had been substantially damaged during the landing. Following the accident, the operator reemphasized to their flight instructors the importance of utilizing standard phraseology during training flights, including use of the phrase "go around" to indicate the necessity to abort a landing.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA14CA230 for the full record.