Pilot Debrief

Cessna 172 near Kahului, HI — 2020-03-17

Final reportANC20CA034
Sign in to save
Date
2020-03-17
Location
Kahului, HI, USA
Airport
OGG
Aircraft
Cessna 172
Registration
N738DB
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The student pilot's failure to avoid wake turbulence while landing behind a heavy jet airplane, which resulted in a loss of roll control and subsequent hard landing.

NTSB narrative

The solo student pilot reported that, while in the airport traffic pattern, the air traffic tower controller instructed her to follow a heavy jet airplane. She saw the heavy jet airplane and confirmed it with the tower controller who then cleared the pilot to land behind the heavy jet and provided a caution for wake turbulence. As she maintained a final approach to land "past the numbers" and prepared for the landing flare, the wings suddenly rolled right, and the nose dropped. She attempted to correct, but the airplane landed hard, skidded off the runway, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, lift struts, and empennage.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 3 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents3

Related mishaps