- Date
- December 20, 2017, 10:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Mankato, MN
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N284MKPiper PA28
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 14, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20171220023449A
- Case key
- 96521
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 landing flare, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing and subsequent go-around during which the student exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Findings · 6
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, during landing, the airplane bounced hard. She added power to go around, and as the airplane became airborne, it began to drift to the left. The airplane aerodynamically stalled, impacted terrain, and collided with a golf cart adjacent to the runway, which was occupied by the student pilot's flight instructor. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The chief pilot of the flight school reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located on the airport revealed that, about 4 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 080° at 6 knots. The airplane landed on runway 33.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that, during landing, the airplane bounced hard. She added power to go around, and as the airplane became airborne it began to drift to the left. The airplane aerodynamically stalled, impacted terrain, and collided with a golf cart adjacent the runway, which was occupied by the student pilot's flight instructor. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The Chief Pilot of the flight school reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about 4 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 080° at 6 knots. The airplane landed on runway 33.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N284MK
- Reported as
- Piper PA28 (161)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2842135
- Built
- 2001
- Airframe hours
- 7,745.1
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- North Star Aviation Inc
- Registered owner
- North Star Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 14, 2017
- Departed
- MKT · Mankato, MN
- Destination
- MKT · Mankato, MN
- Airport
- MKT · Mankato Rgnl, runway 33, 6,600 × 100 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Stall warning system
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
- 24
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 19 total · 19 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 21 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.17 inHg
- Observed at
- KMKT
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 31, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.1 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.