What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 2/7/2011, a Cessna 172M skyhawk owned and operated by sky jane LLC (sole owner privacy data omitted) was being flown by student pilot mhamed belderrar (FAA airman certificate privacy data omitted) from farmingdale/republic airport (kfrg), NY to the Meriden Markham Municipal Airport (kmmk) in Meriden, CT. Mr. Belderrar was on a VFR flight plan for his initial solo cross-country after being endorsed for his flight by his flight instructor, paul fiori (FAA airman certificate privacy data omitted). Weather at the departure airport, enroute and arrival airport was well above VFR minimums. Mr. Belderrar departed kfrg at 1225 EST and his flight was routine until he entered the traffic pattern at kmmk. He called common traffic airport advisory (CTAF) six miles south of kmmk and was given the current landing weather for runway 18. Mr. Belderrar's first landing attempt resulted in a go-around due to being too high on approach (trees north of runway 18). After the go-around, Mr. Belderrar reported on CTAF his positions around the pattern for his second approach to runway 18. In my interview with him, Mr. Belderrar told me that his landing on this second approach was on speed, right of runway centerline and just past the runway "numbers". He said it was a bounced landing and he felt he was struggling to correct from a left crosswind (wind from the east/090) and was using left rudder and then left braking. The reported time of the landing incident was 1336 EST (1836Z). The weather reported by aviation digital data service (adds) at 1753Z showed winds of 180/09 and at 1853Z of 160/07 with no reported gusts. The runway was dry and no skid marks were noted on the runway. Mr. Belderrar told me he touched down approximately 300 feet from the end of the runway. N9622Q departed runway 18 to the right approximately 375 feet from the end of the runway based on landing gear tire tread marks on the ground adjacent to the runway. The aircraft struck a snow bank approximately 515 feet from the end of the runway, turning clockwise 90 degrees and coming to a rest almost perpendicular to the runway. Mr. Belderrar shut down the engine, ignition and fuel before exiting the aircraft uninjured. When the aircraft pivoted after striking the snow bank, the left wingtip struck the ground. There was also damage to the engine cowling, bottom of the rudder/rudder trim tab, left door, and possible empennage damage. The aircraft was extracted from the snow bank and tugged to a ramp tie down. It should also be noted that no fluid leaks from the aircraft were noticed.
As the FAA filed it
ON 2/7/2011, A CESSNA 172M SKYHAWK OWNED AND OPERATED BY SKY JANE LLC (SOLE OWNER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^) WAS BEING FLOWN BY STUDENT PILOT MHAMED BELDERRAR (FAA AIRMAN CERTIFICATE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^) FROM FARMINGDALE/REPUBLIC AIRPORT (KFRG), NY TO THE MERIDEN MARKHAM MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KMMK) IN MERIDEN, CT. MR.BELDERRAR WAS ON A VFR FLIGHT PLAN FOR HIS INITIAL SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY AFTER BEING ENDORSED FOR HIS FLIGHT BY HIS FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, PAUL FIORI (FAA AIRMAN CERTIFICATE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^). WEATHER AT THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT, ENROUTE AND ARRIVAL AIRPORT WAS WELL ABOVE VFR MINIMUMS. MR. BELDERRAR DEPARTED KFRG AT 1225 EST AND HIS FLIGHT WAS ROUTINE UNTIL HE ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AT KMMK. HE CALLED COMMON TRAFFIC AIRPORT ADVISORY (CTAF) SIX MILES SOUTH OF KMMK AND WAS GIVEN THE CURRENT LANDING WEATHER FOR RUNWAY 18. MR. BELDERRAR'S FIRST LANDING ATTEMPT RESULTED IN A GO-AROUND DUE TO BEING TOO HIGH ON APPROACH (TREES NORTH OF RUNWAY 18). AFTER THE GO-AROUND, MR. BELDERRAR REPORTED ON CTAF HIS POSITIONS AROUND THE PATTERN FOR HIS SECOND APPROACH TO RUNWAY 18. IN MY INTERVIEW WITH HIM, MR. BELDERRAR TOLD ME THAT HIS LANDING ON THIS SECOND APPROACH WAS ON SPEED, RIGHT OF RUNWAY CENTERLINE AND JUST PAST THE RUNWAY "NUMBERS". HE SAID IT WAS A BOUNCED LANDING AND HE FELT HE WAS STRUGGLING TO CORRECT FROM A LEFT CROSSWIND (WIND FROM THE EAST/090) AND WAS USING LEFT RUDDER AND THEN LEFT BRAKING. THE REPORTED TIME OF THE LANDING INCIDENT WAS 1336 EST (1836Z). THE WEATHER REPORTED BY AVIATION DIGITAL DATA SERVICE (ADDS) AT 1753Z SHOWED WINDS OF 180/09 AND AT 1853Z OF 160/07 WITH NO REPORTED GUSTS. THE RUNWAY WAS DRY AND NO SKID MARKS WERE NOTED ON THE RUNWAY. MR. BELDERRAR TOLD ME HE TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. N9622Q DEPARTED RUNWAY 18 TO THE RIGHT APPROXIMATELY 375 FEET FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY BASED ON LANDING GEAR TIRE TREAD MARKS ON THE GROUND ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A SNOW BANK APPROXIMATELY 515 FEET FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY, TURNING CLOCKWISE 90 DEGREES AND COMING TO A REST ALMOST PERPENDICULAR TO THE RUNWAY. MR. BELDERRAR SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE, IGNITION AND FUEL BEFORE EXITING THE AIRCRAFT UNINJURED. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT PIVOTED AFTER STRIKING THE SNOW BANK, THE LEFT WINGTIP STRUCK THE GROUND. THERE WAS ALSO DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE COWLING, BOTTOM OF THE RUDDER/RUDDER TRIM TAB, LEFT DOOR, AND POSSIBLE EMPENNAGE DAMAGE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE SNOW BANK AND TUGGED TO A RAMP TIE DOWN. IT SHOULD ALSO BE NOTED THAT NO FLUID LEAKS FROM THE AIRCRAFT WERE NOTICED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.