20250515004919I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · New Piper PA-28-181 · Tucson, AZ · May 15, 2025

Date: May 15, 2025 · 13:00 local
Place: Tucson, AZ
Airport: Tucson International Airport
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
Operator: HR8S
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N3121V
Reported as: New Piper PA-28-181
Reported engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Private pilot, student
Pilot’s flight hours: 227 total227 in this make and model77 in the last 90 days

N3121VRegistered now · New Piper PA-28-181S/N 2843626 · Built 2006 Airframe modelNew Piper PA-28-181 Engine modelLycoming O-360-A4M4 cycle

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.

Student was completing a solo cross country from P03 to P03 via kiwa khii ktus. The pilot stated that the approach was normal to rwy 30 into ktus. Flare was initiated at an appropriate time; however it resulted in a bounce. Pilot attempted to salvage the landing by increasing back pressure but the landing was still flat. The nose gear collapsed and departed the aircraft, which resulted in the propeller impacting the runway while still under power.

As the FAA filed it

STUDENT WAS COMPLETING A SOLO CROSS COUNTRY FROM P03 TO P03 VIA KIWA KHII KTUS. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE APPROACH WAS NORMAL TO RWY 30 INTO KTUS. FLARE WAS INITIATED AT AN APPROPRIATE TIME; HOWEVER IT RESULTED IN A BOUNCE. PILOT ATTEMPTED TO SALVAGE THE LANDING BY INCREASING BACK PRESSURE BUT THE LANDING WAS STILL FLAT. THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH RESULTED IN THE PROPELLER IMPACTING THE RUNWAY WHILE STILL UNDER POWER.