Cessna 172S accident near Kapolei, Hawaii, May 29, 2003
On May 29, 2003 at about 8:20 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N5329L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kapolei, Hawaii (Kalaeloa Airport (John Rodgers). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's misjudged landing flare, and improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in the collapse of the nose landing gear and structural damage to the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 29, 2003 · about 8:20 pm local time
- Place
- Kapolei, Hawaii · Kalaeloa Airport (John Rodgers · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N5329L · no longer on the register · serial 172S9332
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was on her first solo flight. On her first landing, the airplane landed hard, bounced, and began to porpoise down the runway. The nose landing gear subsequently collapsed, damaging the nose landing gear and firewall. The student pilot reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 16 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 141 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 12, 2003; 39 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Flight School Hawaii, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: JRF Kapolei HI at 8:00 pm
- Destination: JRF Kapolei HI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04L, 4,500 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,300 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from JRF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N5329L the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.