| Crash location | 28.545555°N, 81.332778°W |
| Nearest city | Orlando, FL
28.538335°N, 81.379237°W 2.9 miles away |
| Tail number | N378FA |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 21 Nov 2003 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 172S |
| Additional details: | None |
On November 21, 2003, about 1300 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172S, N378FA, registered to Air Audie Inc., and operated by Air Orlando Flight School, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 solo training flight , experienced a hard landing on runway 07, at Orlando Executive Airport, Orlando, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and the student pilot reported no injuries. The flight originated from Ocala International Airport, Ocala, Florida, the same day at 1215.
The student pilot stated he was on final approach to runway 7, with 30 degrees of flaps and an airspeed between 65 and 68 knots. He flared and he felt a gust or quick jolt to the left, and the airplane slammed into the runway nose first and bounced. The second time the airplane came down with about a 45-degree angle to the runway and touched down, the airplane deviated towards the left. Application of the rudder was not effective. The pilot applied brakes to slow the aircraft down and was instructed by ground control to taxi to the ramp. A weather observation taken at 1253, the same day at Orlando Executive Airport, reported the wind was from 20 degrees at 10 knots. The airplane sustained damage to the nose wheel, propeller, and firewall.
The student pilots improper landing flare and his improper recovery from a bounced landing resulting in a hard landing and damage to the airplane.