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20180511005229A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-161 · Merritt Island, FL · May 11, 2018

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 11, 2018 · 09:10 local
Place
Merritt Island, FL
Airport
Merritt Island
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
Pilot school (Part 141)
Operator
E7XS
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N610FT
NTSB investigation
NTSBGAA18CA292
Reported as
Piper PA-28-161
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
32 total32 in this make and model32 in the last 90 days
N610FTRegistration cancelled Mar 27, 2019 · Piper PA-28-161S/N 2841221 · Built 1989Airframe modelPiper PA-28-161Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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.

The student pilot was rptdly on her 4th solo flt practicing touch and go landings on rwy 11 when the acft landed hard on the lt main ldg gear. The acft taxied back to the ramp without further incident after the ldg.

The student plt rptd that she had encountered a 'gust of wind' during the ldg flare that tilted the acft to the right. The acft then touched down on the lt main gear as she was attempting to correct for that.

The flight school chief plt reptd coi wind conditions at the time as calm. The nearest wx station about 8 miles se of coi was patrick afb (cof). The 1156Z kcof METAR also reptd the winds as calm.

Initial inspection of the acft revealed that the upper torque link assy attach point on the lt MLG strut had fractured and separated. Further inspection of the acft after lt wing removal revealed that the lt wing upper main spar had sustained damage where it attaches to the fuselage carry-through spar at the wing root. One of the fuselage attachment bolts was also found to be bent.

As the FAA filed it

THE STUDENT PILOT WAS RPTDLY ON HER 4TH SOLO FLT PRACTICING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS ON RWY 11 WHEN THE ACFT LANDED HARD ON THE LT MAIN LDG GEAR. THE ACFT TAXIED BACK TO THE RAMP WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT AFTER THE LDG.

THE STUDENT PLT RPTD THAT SHE HAD ENCOUNTERED A 'GUST OF WIND' DURING THE LDG FLARE THAT TILTED THE ACFT TO THE RIGHT. THE ACFT THEN TOUCHED DOWN ON THE LT MAIN GEAR AS SHE WAS ATTEMPTING TO CORRECT FOR THAT.

THE FLIGHT SCHOOL CHIEF PLT REPTD COI WIND CONDITIONS AT THE TIME AS CALM. THE NEAREST WX STATION ABOUT 8 MILES SE OF COI WAS PATRICK AFB (COF). THE 1156Z KCOF METAR ALSO REPTD THE WINDS AS CALM.

INITIAL INSPECTION OF THE ACFT REVEALED THAT THE UPPER TORQUE LINK ASSY ATTACH POINT ON THE LT MLG STRUT HAD FRACTURED AND SEPARATED. FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE ACFT AFTER LT WING REMOVAL REVEALED THAT THE LT WING UPPER MAIN SPAR HAD SUSTAINED DAMAGE WHERE IT ATTACHES TO THE FUSELAGE CARRY-THROUGH SPAR AT THE WING ROOT. ONE OF THE FUSELAGE ATTACHMENT BOLTS WAS ALSO FOUND TO BE BENT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB GAA18CA292Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportMerritt Island, FLThe student pilot’s improper landing flare in tailwind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing.May 11, 2018 · Substantial damage