| Crash location | 28.341666°N, 80.686111°W
Reported location is a long distance from the NTSB's reported nearest city. This often means that the location has a typo, or is incorrect. |
| Nearest city | Merritt Island, FL
28.539165°N, 80.671996°W 13.7 miles away |
| Tail number | N35079 |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 31 Jan 2016 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 172 |
| Additional details: | None |
The student pilot reported that during landing on his third solo flight, the approach to the runway was high and fast, and that during touchdown, the nose wheel touched first resulting in a porpoise.
During the porpoise, the airplane drifted to the left and the pilot elected to abort the landing. He advanced the throttle to full power, which increased the yaw to the left. The airplane exited the runway to the left, impacted a ditch, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left lift strut, empennage, and fuselage.
The student pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
The student pilot's improper flare which resulted in a porpoise, runway excursion, and nose over.