NTSB Factual Report

On July 11, 2004, at 1215 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172, N6555D, registered to and operated by Aviation Atlanta, Inc., collided with the runway during an attempted landing on runway 20L at DeKalb-Peachtree Airport, Chamblee, Georgia. The solo instructional flight was conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91, and visual flight rules (VFR). Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and a VFR flight plan was filed and activated. The student pilot was not injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight originated at Letourneau Field, Toccoa, Georgia, on July 11, 2004 at 1125.

According to the pilot, the flight was a solo cross country flight originating at DeKalb-Peachtree Airport (PDK) with intermediate stops in Andersen, South Carolina and Toccoa, Georgia. The pilot stated that upon returning to the PDK terminal area, he listened to the current weather information, which reported the winds to be from 330 degrees at 11 knots, and contacted the PDK control tower. He stated that over the runway surface, he may have "flared too high", resulting in a high sink rate and the airplane bounced on the runway three times. He stated he was able to taxi the airplane to the ramp for assistance, and during the post-flight inspection of the airplane, he noticed the damage to the airplane.

Examination of the wreckage revealed that the right lower and left upper engine firewall were buckled and the right lower engine mount was separated from the firewall. The pilot and passenger floor panels were buckled and the right side of the fuselage, engine cowling, and bottom forward pilot compartment were buckled. The propeller was bent on both tips. Neither flight control yoke was able to travel forward, aft, left, or right.

The pilot further stated that it had been more than 4 months since he had practiced crosswind landings.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's improper landing flare that resulted in a hard landing. A factor was a tailwind condition.