19960318007429I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Maule M-5-220C · Bellingham, WA · March 18, 1996

Date: March 18, 1996 · 13:58 local
Place: Bellingham, WA
Airport: Bellingham International
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N91PT
Reported as: Maule M5220C
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 29 total15 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days

N91PTRegistered now · Maule M-5-220CS/N 5024C · Built 1974 Airframe modelMaule M-5-220C Engine modelFranklin 6A-350SERReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: the student pilot departed meadow mist airport, a private airport located 8 miles north of Bellingham International Airport, on a solo flight to the Bellingham International Airport to purchase fuel. During landing on runway 34 the aircraft bounced 2 to 3 feet into the air and bounced again on the second touchdown. The pilot then lost directional control, ground looping the aircraft off the runway to the left causing minor damage to the right wing tip. The pilot was not injured. The student pilot had purchased the airplane three months previous to this incident. The flight instructor stated the pilot had soloed this airplane for the first time about 3 to 4 days before this incident.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: THE STUDENT PILOT DEPARTED MEADOW MIST AIRPORT, A PRIVATE AIRPORT LOCATED 8 MILES NORTH OF BELLINGHAM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, ON A SOLO FLIGHT TO THE BELLINGHAM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO PURCHASE FUEL. DURING LANDING ON RUNWAY 34 THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED 2 TO 3 FEET INTO THE AIR AND BOUNCED AGAIN ON THE SECOND TOUCHDOWN. THE PILOT THEN LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, GROUND LOOPING THE AIRCRAFT OFF THE RUNWAY TO THE LEFT CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING TIP. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE STUDENT PILOT HAD PURCHASED THE AIRPLANE THREE MONTHS PREVIOUS TO THIS INCIDENT. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR STATED THE PILOT HAD SOLOED THIS AIRPLANE FOR THE FIRST TIME ABOUT 3 TO 4 DAYS BEFORE THIS INCIDENT.