20030818020409I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Beech B19 · Augusta, ME · August 18, 2003

Date
August 18, 2003 · 14:50 local
Place
Augusta, ME
Airport
Augusta State
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N2168W
Reported as
Beech B19
Reported engine
Lycoming O320E3D
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
95 total95 in this make and model6 in the last 90 days

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.

(-23) Student pilot on local solo flight. Airman stated that shortly after takeoff she noted passenger door was unlatched and she remained in traffic pattern in order to make full stop landing. She stated that she was "on the glide slope path showing the near VASI lights white and the FAR lights red". Crossed over runway numbers 25-30 feet AGL she then heard the stall warning horn and "the plane lost the remaining altitude and made contact with the runway surface". The aircraft impacted the runway in a nose-low attitude. The propeller appears to have struck the runway leaving deep gouge, nosewheel trunion failed. The aircraft continued along runway with minimal contact with runway surface (aircraft nose high). Propeller blades bent aft, nosegear trunion sheared off. No injuries. One eyewitness stated that it appeared the pilot made nose low approach and did not initiate proper flare.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) STUDENT PILOT ON LOCAL SOLO FLIGHT. AIRMAN STATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF SHE NOTED PASSENGER DOOR WAS UNLATCHED AND SHE REMAINED IN TRAFFIC PATTERN IN ORDER TO MAKE FULL STOP LANDING. SHE STATED THAT SHE WAS "ON THE GLIDE SLOPE PATH SHOWING THE NEAR VASI LIGHTS WHITE AND THE FAR LIGHTS RED". CROSSED OVER RUNWAY NUMBERS 25-30 FEET AGL SHE THEN HEARD THE STALL WARNING HORN AND "THE PLANE LOST THE REMAINING ALTITUDE AND MADE CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY SURFACE". THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE RUNWAY IN A NOSE-LOW ATTITUDE. THE PROPELLER APPEARS TO HAVE STRUCK THE RUNWAY LEAVING DEEP GOUGE, NOSEWHEEL TRUNION FAILED. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ALONG RUNWAY WITH MINIMAL CONTACT WITH RUNWAY SURFACE (AIRCRAFT NOSE HIGH). PROPELLER BLADES BENT AFT, NOSEGEAR TRUNION SHEARED OFF. NO INJURIES. ONE EYEWITNESS STATED THAT IT APPEARED THE PILOT MADE NOSE LOW APPROACH AND DID NOT INITIATE PROPER FLARE.