- Date
- July 22, 2022, 15:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- Salisbury, MD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N979DSVulcanair V1
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20220722007119A
- Case key
- 105590
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 improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
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 student pilot reported that he was completing his first solo cross-country flight. At the destination airport, he performed one go-around because the airplane was too high. He performed a second go-around as the airplane was not aligned with the runway. During the third attempt, he flared too high. The airplane subsequently landed hard and bounced four times before coming to rest on the runway. The student pilot added that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunction. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that it was substantially damaged due to two fractured engine mounts. Damage to the nosegear and propeller was also observed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N979DS
- Reported as
- Vulcanair V1 (0)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1024
- Built
- 2019
- Airframe hours
- 430
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Delaware State University
- Registered owner
- Delaware State University
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 23, 2022 · 37 hours before
- Departed
- 33N · Cheswold, DE
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- SBY · Salisbury Regional Airport, runway 23, 5,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Data recorder, Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Satellite tracking device, Onboard weather, Electronic multifunction display
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
- 17
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 28 total · 25 in this make and model · 3 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 11 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- KSBY
- METAR
- METAR KSBY 221954Z 25011G15KT 10SM CLR 33/22 A2994
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 5, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.6 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.