- Date
- June 25, 2008, 12:25 local (19:25 UTC)
- Place
- Mesa, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4144PPiper PA-28-181
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 30, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20080625843529A
- Case key
- 68332
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 inadequate recovery from a bounced landing and failure to maintain directional control.
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 was performing a solo flight and was on an extended final for runway 22L with the intention of performing a full stop landing. The air traffic control tower requested that he change to runway 22R. The pilot maneuvered the airplane for the requested runway and was cleared to land. He extended the flaps to 40 degrees on short final. He stated that he should have extended the flaps earlier because of excessive airspeed. He said that the airplane passed over the runway numbers at an airspeed of approximately 75 knots. He closed the throttle and the airplane floated for an extended period of time. The main landing gear then touched down on the runway surface and the airplane bounced. The pilot held pitch attitude and the airplane touched down on the runway surface again. The right wing then lifted upwards and the airplane veered to the left. The pilot applied brakes and right rudder, and the airplane departed the runway to the left. The airplane then collided with a ditch, collapsing the nose landing gear and causing substantial damage to the firewall.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that he was performing a solo flight and was on an extended final for runway 22L with the intention of performing a full stop landing. The air traffic control tower requested that he change to runway 22R. The pilot maneuvered the airplane for the requested runway and was cleared to land. He extended the flaps to 40 degrees on short final. He stated that he should have extended the flaps earlier because of excessive airspeed. He said that the airplane passed over the runway numbers at an airspeed of approximately 75 knots. He closed the throttle and the airplane floated for an extended period of time. The main landing gear then touched down on the runway surface and the airplane bounced. The pilot held pitch attitude and the airplane touched down on the runway surface again. The right wing then lifted upwards and the airplane veered to the left. The pilot applied brakes and right rudder, and the airplane departed the runway to the left. The airplane then collided with a ditch, collapsing the nose landing gear and causing substantial damage to the firewall.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4144P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2843121
- Airframe hours
- 8,711
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Sabena Airline Training Center, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 1, 2008 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- IWA · Phoenix, AZ
- Destination
- FFZ · Mesa, AZ
- Airport
- FFZ · Falcon Field Airport, runway 22R, 3,799 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 19
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 20 total · 20 in this make and model · 4 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 99 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- FFZ
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N4144P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.