- Date
- August 9, 2018, 10:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Merritt Island, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N487JKPiper PA28
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180809010529A
- Case key
- 98033
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 pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack while maneuvering to avoid a bird during the landing flare, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
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
The solo student pilot reported that, during landing, before initiating the landing flare, he saw a "white bird" heading toward the airplane. He applied left rudder to avoid the bird, and the airplane drifted left of the runway centerline. He then "[pulled] the yoke back," but the left main landing gear impacted a taxiway sign, and the airplane settled on grass adjacent to the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing spar. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The solo student pilot reported that, during landing, prior to initiating the landing flare, he saw a "white bird" heading towards the airplane. He applied left rudder to avoid the bird, and the airplane drifted left of the runway centerline. He then "[pulled] the yoke back", but the left main landing gear impacted a taxiway sign, and the airplane settled on the adjacent grass. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing spar. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N487JK
- Reported as
- Piper PA28 (161)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2842044
- Built
- 1998
- Airframe hours
- 10,899.2
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- 2FlyAirborne
- Registered owner
- Growl Aircraft Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 3, 2018
- Departed
- COI · Merritt Island, FL
- Destination
- COI · Merritt Island, FL
- Airport
- COI · Merritt Island, runway 29, 3,601 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- 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
- 18
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 21 total · 21 in this make and model · 2 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- KCOF, 8 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 9, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.4 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.