NTSB Factual Report

On April 1, 2005, at 1325 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 172N, N4789G, landed hard on runway 31L, at Reid-Hillview Airport of Santa Clara County (RHV), San Jose, California. American School of Aviation operated the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 as an instructional flight. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area flight, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight was scheduled to terminate at RHV.

In the student pilot's written statement he reported that the purpose of the flight was to practice short and soft field takeoffs and landings. During the landing flare, he pulled back on the yoke and reduced the power. He noted that the airspeed was 50 knots indicated airspeed (KIAS). The pilot said he then pulled off the power, but the airplane was still too high above the runway at a low airspeed and it stalled. The student pilot reported that he had accrued a total flight time of 30 hours.

According to the student's certified flight instructor (CFI), this was the student pilot's fourth solo flight. The CFI stated that the student had completed three short and soft field landings, and he decided that the student was ready to practice on his own. The CFI reported that the flight was an unsupervised solo.

NTSB Probable Cause

the student pilot's misjudged landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing.