- Date
- April 17, 2019, 10:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Wickenburg, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N425PAPiper PA28
- Defining event
- Landing-aborted after touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190417010819A
- Case key
- 99281
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 failure to maintain lateral control during landing and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during the subsequent aborted landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Findings · 4
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, on his second approach, he encountered "bumpy" air, and the airplane ballooned. He corrected by adding power, leveling the wings, and continuing the landing. Just before touchdown, the right wing lifted, and the airplane drifted left of the runway centerline. He applied power to go around, but the stall warning activated, and the airplane continued to drift left. Subsequently, the airplane aerodynamically stalled and collided with the ground and an airport taxiway sign. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The student reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. About the time of the accident, the airport's automated weather reporting station reported that the wind was from 270° at 6 knots. The pilot was landing the airplane on runway 23.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that, on his second approach, he encountered "bumpy" air and the aircraft ballooned. He corrected by adding power, leveling the wings and continuing the landing. Just prior to touching down, the right wing raised, and the airplane drifted to the left. He applied power to go-around, the stall warning activated but the airplane continued to drift left. Subsequently, the airplane aerodynamically stalled and collided with the ground. Per the photos provided by the Federal Aviation Administration that the airplane also impacted an airport taxi way sign during the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The student pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. About the time of the accident, the automated weather reporting station located at the airport, reported that the wind was from 270° at 6 knots. The pilot was landing the airplane on runway 23.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N425PA
- Reported as
- Piper PA28 (181)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2843474
- Built
- 2001
- Airframe hours
- 20,333.5
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- AeroGuard Flight Training Center
- Registered owner
- Bird Acquisition Llc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · April 6, 2019
- Departed
- E63 · Gila Bend, AZ
- Destination
- E25 · Wickenburg, AZ
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- E25 · Wickenburg Muni, runway 23, 6,101 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, 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
- 25
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 57 total · 57 in this make and model · 3 as pilot in command · 43 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- KBXK, 34 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 8, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 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.