IAD97LA068

This flight was a combined dual and solo instructional lesson. The student pilot and flight instructor (CFI) did 5 takeoffs and landings before the student continued with his solo flight. According to the student, on his sixth landing the airplane bounced hard, and he initiated a go-around. On his next landing attempt, the airplane bounced hard again, but he continued the landing. The CFI, who was observing the flight from the ground, stated that the airplane bounced, then the student flared too high, causing the airplane to stall. According to the CFI, the left wing hit the ground first followed by the left main gear and the nose gear. The student and CFI stated the airplane veered off the runway to the left and came to rest about 80 to 100 feet left of the runway.

On April 20, 1997, at about 1700 eastern daylight time, N2477K, a Piper PA-38, owned and operated by Wellsville Flying Service and flown by a student pilot, sustained substantial damage when the pilot lost control of the aircraft on landing, at the Wellsville Municipal Airport, Wellsville, New York. The student pilot and sole occupant was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed and no flight plan was filed for this local flight. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

According to the pilot, he was approaching for his sixth solo landing after receiving .8 hours of dual instruction. On this approach, he began experiencing an increase in the wind. The pilot stated that he flared too high and bounced hard on the runway. He initiated a go around to try the landing again. On his second approach, the pilot stated he bounced again and this time he opted to land. According to the pilot, when he hit the second time, the airplane veered off the left side of the runway the controls would not respond to his inputs. The pilot stated that the airplane came to a rest about 80 feet off the left side of the runway.

The students flight instructor was observing the flight from the ground and was in contact with the student over the radio. According to the flight instructor, after the first hard landing, he advised the student to land on the his next attempt and maintain 70 knots on the final approach. The instructor stated that the student bounced hard again, started to execute a go-around, then decided to attempt to save the landing. According to the instructor, the student flared too high and the airplane stalled. The instructor stated the left wing struck the runway followed by the left main gear and nose gear. According to the instructor, the airplane came to rest about 100 feet south of the runway.