- Date
- May 31, 2011, 18:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Concord, NH
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N709PRAero AT SP Zoo AT-4 LSA
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 19, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110531012589A
- Case key
- 79269
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 loss of aircraft control during a go-around maneuver following a bounced landing.
Findings · 3
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
During landing of the student pilot's first solo cross country flight, the airplane bounced and began to drift to the left of the runway centerline. The student attempted unsuccessfully to correct the drift, and consequently performed a go-around. Images of the student pilot's go-around were captured by a security camera on the airport. Review of the captured images revealed that during the go-around, the airplane rolled and turned to the left, while simultaneously pitching up into a nose-high attitude. The airplane then pitched nose down while continuing to roll and turn left, before moving out of view of the security camera. A postaccident examination of the accident site revealed, that after moving out of view of the security camera, the airplane impacted the ground, 180 degrees off the runway heading, and nosed over. Examination of the airplane revealed that it had incurred substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and engine firewall. No preimpact malfunctions of the airplane or engine were discovered.
Factual narrative
During landing, the airplane which was being flown by a student pilot on his first solo cross country flight, bounced, and began to drift to the left of the centerline of the runway. The student attempted to correct but was unable to. He consequently performed a go-around. Images of the student pilot's go-around were captured by a security camera. Review of the captured images revealed that during the go-around, the airplane rolled and turned to the left, while simultaneously pitching up into a nose high attitude. The airplane then pitched nose down while continuing to roll and turn left, before moving out of view of the security camera. Post accident examination of the accident site by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed, that after moving out of view, the airplane impacted the ground, 180 degrees off the runway heading, and nosed over. Examination of the airplane revealed that it had incurred substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and engine firewall. No preimpact malfunctions of the airplane or engine were discovered.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N709PR
- Reported as
- Aero AT SP Zoo AT-4 LSA
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AT4-022
- Airframe hours
- 793
- Engine
- Rotax 912ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Southern Maine Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- Southern Maine Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 24, 2011
- Departed
- EEN · Keene, NH
- Destination
- CON · Concord, NH
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- CON · Concord Municipal Airport, runway 17, 6,005 × 100 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 66
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 100 total · 97 in this make and model · 4 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- CON
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 12, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 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.