What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 18, 2015 a student pilot departed the Ohio state university airport (kosu), columbus, OH for the Knox County Airport (4I3), Mount Vernon, OH approximately 30NM
Northeast of columbus. Knox County is a well maintained hard surface airport with one east west runway 5498X100 feet. The airport is served by a UNICOM and AWOS-3 weather reporting services. The student was using runway 28 at the time of the accident.
The student pilot was flying a light sport Flight design Ctls, N566FD and was intending to practice takeoff and landings at a low traffic volume airport. The student made one touch and go successfully, but on the second landing lost control after a few bounces, collapsing the nose gear and skidding approximately 250-300 feet before stopping on the right side of the runway surface. There were no injuries and damage was limited to the front of the aircraft. The nose landing gear broke off at the top of the wheel yoke along with a prop strike.
A further assessment of the damage will be determined by office airworthiness inspectors after firewall fire shield and noise insulation is removed for better access to the firewall and associated structure.
The student pilot was interviewed by phone; the student indicated winds were light but variable. The midday air was bumpy throughout the Flight and first landing, (see attached student pilot statement). AWOS reports indicate the wind at and around the time of the accident were variable from 210@3 to 350@6 with the highest recorded gust of 9KT.
Although the student was solo, an interview with the instructor a few days after the accident was convened. The instructor feels the student encountered some thermal and wind shift/gustiness conditions which lead to the landing accident. The instructor felt the rate of student learning was average for a student pilot in his age range. This inspector sees nothing in the investigation which would indicate any other issues other than operational error. A review of the student?s logbook does indicate an above average dual given time to solo which would indicate some weakness in learning however not unusual.
NTSB id# GAA-15-C-A-016
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 18, 2015 A STUDENT PILOT DEPARTED THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY AIRPORT (KOSU), COLUMBUS, OH FOR THE KNOX COUNTY AIRPORT (4I3), MOUNT VERNON, OH APPROXIMATELY 30NM
NORTHEAST OF COLUMBUS. KNOX COUNTY IS A WELL MAINTAINED HARD SURFACE AIRPORT WITH ONE EAST WEST RUNWAY 5498X100 FEET. THE AIRPORT IS SERVED BY A UNICOM AND AWOS-3 WEATHER REPORTING SERVICES. THE STUDENT WAS USING RUNWAY 28 AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
THE STUDENT PILOT WAS FLYING A LIGHT SPORT FLIGHT DESIGN CTLS, N566FD AND WAS INTENDING TO PRACTICE TAKEOFF AND LANDINGS AT A LOW TRAFFIC VOLUME AIRPORT. THE STUDENT MADE ONE TOUCH AND GO SUCCESSFULLY, BUT ON THE SECOND LANDING LOST CONTROL AFTER A FEW BOUNCES, COLLAPSING THE NOSE GEAR AND SKIDDING APPROXIMATELY 250-300 FEET BEFORE STOPPING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY SURFACE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO THE FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE NOSE LANDING GEAR BROKE OFF AT THE TOP OF THE WHEEL YOKE ALONG WITH A PROP STRIKE.
A FURTHER ASSESSMENT OF THE DAMAGE WILL BE DETERMINED BY OFFICE AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTORS AFTER FIREWALL FIRE SHIELD AND NOISE INSULATION IS REMOVED FOR BETTER ACCESS TO THE FIREWALL AND ASSOCIATED STRUCTURE.
THE STUDENT PILOT WAS INTERVIEWED BY PHONE; THE STUDENT INDICATED WINDS WERE LIGHT BUT VARIABLE. THE MIDDAY AIR WAS BUMPY THROUGHOUT THE FLIGHT AND FIRST LANDING, (SEE ATTACHED STUDENT PILOT STATEMENT). AWOS REPORTS INDICATE THE WIND AT AND AROUND THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE VARIABLE FROM 210@3 TO 350@6 WITH THE HIGHEST RECORDED GUST OF 9KT.
ALTHOUGH THE STUDENT WAS SOLO, AN INTERVIEW WITH THE INSTRUCTOR A FEW DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT WAS CONVENED. THE INSTRUCTOR FEELS THE STUDENT ENCOUNTERED SOME THERMAL AND WIND SHIFT/GUSTINESS CONDITIONS WHICH LEAD TO THE LANDING ACCIDENT. THE INSTRUCTOR FELT THE RATE OF STUDENT LEARNING WAS AVERAGE FOR A STUDENT PILOT IN HIS AGE RANGE. THIS INSPECTOR SEES NOTHING IN THE INVESTIGATION WHICH WOULD INDICATE ANY OTHER ISSUES OTHER THAN OPERATIONAL ERROR. A REVIEW OF THE STUDENT?S LOGBOOK DOES INDICATE AN ABOVE AVERAGE DUAL GIVEN TIME TO SOLO WHICH WOULD INDICATE SOME WEAKNESS IN LEARNING HOWEVER NOT UNUSUAL.
NTSB ID# GAA-15-C-A-016
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N566FD · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.