What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 04/25/2023 at approximately 1601 EDT, a Grumman model AA-5A aircraft, was conducting a training flight. During the landing the student pilot experienced a “balloon effect” and the pilot’s actions resulted in a hard landing. No injuries were reported.
The flight originated from ottawa executive airport (Z98) and was being operated in visual meteorological conditions with the student pilot and certified flight instructor (CFI). The weather conditions reported at mkg at 1555 EDT indicated winds from the west at 9 knots and visibility 10 statute miles. The pilot stated the weather conditions were “fair” and winds were “light variable.” the pilot stated they performed “6 take-offs and landings prior to the solo so I could get familiar with the airport [mkg].” the CFI exited the aircraft to observe the flight from the tower and allow the student pilot to perform solo training. The student pilot had valid endorsements and documents to perform the following flight. The pilot took-off for a solo traffic pattern with left traffic back to runway 32. The pilot stated he noticed the “plane climbed noticeably faster without my instructor in the passenger seat.” as the pilot attempted to land the aircraft he stated “as soon as the plane entered ground-effect, I started the flare. I applied too much back pressure on the yoke and the plane bounced off the runway with only the main gear touching and ballooned up. I over compensated with too much front pressure on the yoke and the aircraft hit nose-gear first, which resulted in the nose-gear snapping completely off the aircraft. The prop hit the runway and the plane skidded off to the left of the runway roughly between the 1,000’ mark and the 500’ mark.” the hard landing resulted in the nose landing gear shearing off the aircraft followed by a propeller strike. The aircraft veered off the southern side of the runway and came to a stop. The pilot was evaluated by mkg crash rescue and no injuries were reported.
Damage to the aircraft is as follows:
Nose landing gear assembly was sheared from the aircraft, propeller damage from the propeller strike, internal engine damage from the propeller strike, engine cowl damage, and skin damage aft of the engine cowl. No structural damage found.
The aircraft is scheduled to be trailered to the home base of Z98 to perform maintenance on the related damaged items.
As the FAA filed it
ON 04/25/2023 AT APPROXIMATELY 1601 EDT, A GRUMMAN MODEL AA-5A AIRCRAFT, WAS CONDUCTING A TRAINING FLIGHT. DURING THE LANDING THE STUDENT PILOT EXPERIENCED A “BALLOON EFFECT” AND THE PILOT’S ACTIONS RESULTED IN A HARD LANDING. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.
THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM OTTAWA EXECUTIVE AIRPORT (Z98) AND WAS BEING OPERATED IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WITH THE STUDENT PILOT AND CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI). THE WEATHER CONDITIONS REPORTED AT MKG AT 1555 EDT INDICATED WINDS FROM THE WEST AT 9 KNOTS AND VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES. THE PILOT STATED THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE “FAIR” AND WINDS WERE “LIGHT VARIABLE.” THE PILOT STATED THEY PERFORMED “6 TAKE-OFFS AND LANDINGS PRIOR TO THE SOLO SO I COULD GET FAMILIAR WITH THE AIRPORT [MKG].” THE CFI EXITED THE AIRCRAFT TO OBSERVE THE FLIGHT FROM THE TOWER AND ALLOW THE STUDENT PILOT TO PERFORM SOLO TRAINING. THE STUDENT PILOT HAD VALID ENDORSEMENTS AND DOCUMENTS TO PERFORM THE FOLLOWING FLIGHT. THE PILOT TOOK-OFF FOR A SOLO TRAFFIC PATTERN WITH LEFT TRAFFIC BACK TO RUNWAY 32. THE PILOT STATED HE NOTICED THE “PLANE CLIMBED NOTICEABLY FASTER WITHOUT MY INSTRUCTOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT.” AS THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT HE STATED “AS SOON AS THE PLANE ENTERED GROUND-EFFECT, I STARTED THE FLARE. I APPLIED TOO MUCH BACK PRESSURE ON THE YOKE AND THE PLANE BOUNCED OFF THE RUNWAY WITH ONLY THE MAIN GEAR TOUCHING AND BALLOONED UP. I OVER COMPENSATED WITH TOO MUCH FRONT PRESSURE ON THE YOKE AND THE AIRCRAFT HIT NOSE-GEAR FIRST, WHICH RESULTED IN THE NOSE-GEAR SNAPPING COMPLETELY OFF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PROP HIT THE RUNWAY AND THE PLANE SKIDDED OFF TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY ROUGHLY BETWEEN THE 1,000’ MARK AND THE 500’ MARK.” THE HARD LANDING RESULTED IN THE NOSE LANDING GEAR SHEARING OFF THE AIRCRAFT FOLLOWED BY A PROPELLER STRIKE. THE AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND CAME TO A STOP. THE PILOT WAS EVALUATED BY MKG CRASH RESCUE AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.
DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT IS AS FOLLOWS:
NOSE LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY WAS SHEARED FROM THE AIRCRAFT, PROPELLER DAMAGE FROM THE PROPELLER STRIKE, INTERNAL ENGINE DAMAGE FROM THE PROPELLER STRIKE, ENGINE COWL DAMAGE, AND SKIN DAMAGE AFT OF THE ENGINE COWL. NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE FOUND.
THE AIRCRAFT IS SCHEDULED TO BE TRAILERED TO THE HOME BASE OF Z98 TO PERFORM MAINTENANCE ON THE RELATED DAMAGED ITEMS.
Other reports on N9961U · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.