- Date
- May 17, 2011, 11:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Carbondale, IL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6238PCessna 152
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abrupt maneuver
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Springfield FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110517008399A
- Case key
- 79135
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The student pilot's relinquishing of the flight controls during the landing flare and the flight instructor's delay in taking remedial action.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The certified flight instructor (CFI) reported that the student pilot had failed the Private Pilot check ride the previous week and that the accident flight was a flight review for the student. The student pilot performed a go-around on the first landing attempt because the airplane was too high on the final landing approach. On the final leg during the second approach, the airplane was on the proper glideslope and at the appropriate airspeed. The airplane was left of centerline and about 5 feet above the runway when the student pilot initiated the flare. The CFI reported that the student pilot suddenly relinquished the flight controls without warning, and the CFI attempted to salvage the landing. The student pilot reported that he relinquished the controls to the CFI and stated, “Your controls.” The right wing tip contacted the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to two ribs in the outboard section of the wing. The CFI did not recognize that the wing tip struck the runway, so the flight returned to the departure airport. The damage to the wing was discovered during the postflight inspection of the airplane.
Factual narrative
The certified flight instructor (CFI) reported that the student pilot had failed the Private Pilot check ride the previous week, and that the accident flight was a flight review for the student pilot. The CFI reported that the student pilot performed the ground reference maneuvers and "lost" procedures within the Private Pilot standards. The student pilot performed a go-around on the first landing attempt because the airplane was too high on final. On the final leg during the second approach, the airplane was on and airspeed. The airplane was left of centerline and about 5 feet above the runway when the student pilot initiated the flare. The CFI reported that the student pilot suddenly relinquished the flight controls without warning, and the CFI attempted to "salvage" the landing. The student pilot reported that he relinquished the controls to the CFI and stated, "Your controls." The right wingtip contacted the runway which resulted in substantial damage to two ribs in the outboard section of the wing. The CFI did not recognize that the wingtip struck the runway, so the flight returned to the departure airport. The damage to the wing was discovered during the postflight inspection of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6238P
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15284990
- Airframe hours
- 11,241
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-235-N2C, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Southern Illinois University Board Of Trustees DBA
- Registered owner
- Southern Illinois University Board Of Trustees DBA
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- MDH · Carbondale, IL
- Destination
- MDH · Carbondale, IL
- Airport
- PJY · Pinckneyville-Du Quoin Airport, runway 36, 4,000 × 60 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 20, 2009
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,036 total · 510 in this make and model
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 19
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 56 total · 46 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 10 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- MDH, 13 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 7, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.