| Crash location | 41.943611°N, 83.432778°W |
| Nearest city | Monroe, MI
41.916434°N, 83.397710°W 2.6 miles away |
| Tail number | N4491R |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 21 Dec 2017 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 172 |
| Additional details: | None |
The flight instructor reported that, the student pilot began to flare for a touch-and-go landing, when a wind gust yawed the airplane to the left. He added that the wind "dropped out", and the airplane landed hard with the nose low, which resulted in a nose landing gear collapse.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings.
The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about 5 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 140° at 6 knots. The flight instructor reported that the wind was variable at 10 knots, gusting 20 knots. The airplane landed on runway 21.
The student pilot’s improper yaw control during the landing flare and the flight instructor’s failure to take remedial action, which resulted in a hard landing.