Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

On June 14, 1996, at 1000 mountain daylight time a Cessna R172K, N3814V, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing at Front Range Airport, Watkins, Colorado. The solo student pilot was not injured. The flight was operating as a local area instructional flight under Title 14 CFR Part 91 and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. Takeoff for the flight occurred at 0915.

According to the student, who was on his first solo flight in the Cessna R172K aircraft, he became distracted by a radio call from another aircraft. He said his landing was hard, but he did not realize he had damaged the aircraft until he parked at the ramp and the flight instructor noticed the propeller tips missing. Other damage was to the fire wall, cabin floor, nose landing gear assembly, and flight control system. This was the pilot's first solo landing in this make and model aircraft.

Weather at the time, as estimated by the pilot, was clear skies with wind from 300 degrees magnetic at 4 knots. The landing was conducted on runway 35. an improper flare by the pilot, which resulted in a hard landing.