NTSB Factual Report

On April 16, 2006, at 0830 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172S, N21527, registered to K & L Equipment Leasing LLC and operated by Lanier Flight Center as a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, collided with the runway during landing at the Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport, Gainesville, Georgia. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged. The student pilot was not injured. The flight originated from Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport, Gainesville, Georgia, on April 16, 2006 at 0815.

The student pilot was performing his first solo flight and had completed three takeoffs, landings, and full stops on runway 29. After departing on the fourth takeoff the student pilot noticed clouds near the west, and elected to make his fourth landing final. The student pilot flew a normal left hand traffic pattern for runway 29 and upon turning final noted that " all seemed normal, and maybe a little high in ground effect." The airplane "hit" hard on the runway and then bounced two more times before settling on the ground. The student pilot noticed that the flight controls "did not seem to work right, and the airplane did not sound right". The student stated that he made the " classic mistake of stalling the airplane on landing". The student pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane prior to the accident.

NTSB Probable Cause

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