# NTSB DEN07CA026: Liberty Aerospace Liberty XL-2, N531XL, Albuquerque, NM, November 19, 2006

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report
- Date: November 19, 2006, 10:45 local (17:45 UTC)
- Place: Albuquerque, NM
- Coordinates: 35.145, -106.794998
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.1450&lon=-106.7950&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 1 serious
- Status: Completed, report February 26, 2007
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Parties: FAA Flight Standards District Office
- NTSB case key (mKey): 64891
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN07CA026
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/64891/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN07CA026

## Probable cause

the student pilot's improper flare and subsequent improper recovery from a bounced landing resulting in an inadvertent loss of control.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown
  - flare - improper, pilot in command (cause)
- Loss of control - in flight, landing - flare/touchdown
  - recovery from bounced landing - improper, pilot in command (cause)
- In flight collision with terrain/water, landing - flare/touchdown
  - terrain condition - runway

## Analysis

According to the student pilot, she was conducting touch and go landings on runway 22. On the third landing, she landed hard and ballooned back up into the air. She stated that the airplane impacted the runway two times following the first impact, the third being the hardest, resulting in substantial damage. An examination of the airplanes systems revealed no anomalies.

## Factual narrative

According to the student pilot, she was conducting touch and go landings on runway 22 (7,400 feet by 100 feet, asphalt). On the third landing, she landed hard and ballooned back up into the air. She stated that the airplane impacted the runway two times following the first impact, the third being the hardest. The propeller struck the runway and the nose wheel assembly folded aft, breaking the weld and mount area in the forward bulkhead. The student pilot sustained a compression fracture in her back. An examination of the airplanes systems, conducted by the FAA, revealed no anomalies.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N531XL](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N531XL-2018-04-24), registration cancelled 2018-04-24, S/N 0025, built 2006 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Liberty Aerospace Inc. Liberty XL-2
- Registry model: [Liberty Aerospace XL-2](https://openairdocs.org/model/liberty-aerospace-xl-2) (registry code 5200001) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Continental IOF-240-B](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-iof-240-b) (registry code 17168, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 0025
- Airframe hours: 192
- Engines: Teledyne Continental IOF-240-B 125 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Instructional, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection: Annual, October 1, 2006
- Departed: AEG, Albuquerque, NM
- Destination: AEG, Albuquerque, NM
- Airport: AEG, Double Eagle II, runway 22, 7,400 × 100 ft, asphalt

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Student pilot; age 49; injuries: serious; student; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; seat: left; flight hours: 26 total, 26 in this make and model, 1 as pilot in command, 1 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 330° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 52 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter: 30.51 inHg
- Observed at: KAEG, 1 nm away

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20061119022999A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20061119022999A), Nov 19, 2006: Amtr LIBERTYXL2, Albuquerque, NM, Substantial damage. (-23) On November 19, 2006, at 1040 MST, a liberty aerospace XL-2, N531XL, registered to [privacy data omitted] and operated by del sol aviation, had a hard…

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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